


Possessiveness, Miscommunication and Jealousy

by Moonbeam (luvsbitca)



Series: Growling 'Verse [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Ambushing, Bullying, Derek The Oblivious, Discussion of Harry Potter and the characters sex lives, Evil Bitches, Harry Potter - Freeform, Jackson The Much Slapped, Jasmine the Bitch, Lydia The Vengeful, M/M, Mental Abuse, Other Packs, Pack Bonding, Payback, Rampant Harry/Hermione pimping, Star Wars - Freeform, Stiles The Awesome, Stiles bashing, Stiles with a gun is hot, Tattoos, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-22
Updated: 2012-09-08
Packaged: 2017-10-29 22:50:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 51,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/325045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvsbitca/pseuds/Moonbeam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some people from Derek’s life before the show come to visit and none of the pack are happy about it, especially when one of them starts picking on Stiles.</p><p>Part of the Growling ‘Verse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer -** I own nothing, if I did I would have such fun but we all know that it wouldn’t be anywhere near as good. Just showing my love through imitation.   
>  This has been floating around for a while and after First Snow I wanted something with a bit of outside melodrama and what better than a bitch trying to bring down Stiles?

**Possessiveness, Miscommunication and Jealousy**

By Moonbeam

 **Part 01 – Meeting Strangers**

 

“Hey Derek,” Stiles called out as he opened the front door to Derek’s house the rest of the pack behind him. “We have a…” Stiles stopped talking when he saw Derek sitting on a couch with a strange woman, another woman and a man sat across from them on the other couch.

 

“Stiles, everyone come in you have to meet John, his girlfriend Monica,” Derek pointed to the couple across from him and then to the woman sitting next to him. “And his sister Jasmine.”

 

“Hi,” Stiles said and was followed by a chorus from the rest of the pack. Stiles knew they were wolves because Scott grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back just a touch so Stiles was standing behind him.

 

“John, Monica, Jasmine this is my pack. Jackson, Lydia, Scott, Stiles, Danny and Allison.”

 

“Humans.” Jasmine said looking straight at Stiles.

 

“Yes, Allison and Stiles are human.” Derek said. “The rest of us are wolves.”

 

“You have omegas?” John asked surprised.

 

“No, I have human members of my pack,” Derek said firmly looking directly at Stiles.

 

“Why?” Monica asked.

 

“Why what?” Derek turned back to the couple across from him.

 

“Why do you have human pack members?” Jasmine asked.

 

Derek stared at her for a few long moments while his pack and his guests waited for him to answer. Derek actually found trying to explain why he had non-wolves in his pack hard, most packs kept humans around to serve as omegas, well the old packs, the rest rarely kept a human around for long choosing to bite them for security and to strengthen the group. Neither Allison nor Stiles wanted to be werewolves so they would remain human until that changed or they died. There was really only one explanation that would make sense to his old friends; and it wasn’t telling them that Stiles was the first real member of his pack; that he saved his life, that he helped bring down his uncle, that without meaning to he aligned himself with Derek before Derek was even really the alpha. Allison was much more difficult to explain, she was a hunter’s daughter who had stood by Scott through everything standing between her father and the pack and over the few years since she had found out the truth she had proven herself to be a trustworthy member of the pack. John and Jasmine had grown up wolves like he and Laura had, their father slightly more traditional than Derek’s who refused to bite children who showed no sign of lycanthropy until they were old enough to decide for themselves. They would not understand any of his reasons, least of all the fact that Stiles was...so many different things.  “I grew up in a pack with human members.” Derek answered simply.

 

“Yeah but they were family.” Jasmine said. “And surely when they were old enough they would have chosen the bite. Your humans are old enough why don’t you just bite them?”

 

“Because they do not want to be werewolves.” Derek said looking at Stiles briefly seeing the grip Scott had on his arm, the way the human was standing just behind the wolf, the way the rest of his pack were standing guard around their human members. Derek smiled at them all; they were a good family, protective and loving.

 

Jasmine turned her eyes to follow Derek’s she looked first at Allison then to Stiles who caught her eye. The way she was looking at him made him uncomfortable, she was not glaring or scowling but he could tell she was not happy and he was the reason.

 

“You don’t want to be a werewolf?” Jasmine asked her eyes not leaving Stiles’.

 

Stiles looked to Derek for a moment and then back, “No.” He said simply not at all worried about his heartbeat this time. He might have been lying when he had told Peter he didn’t want the bite but now, knowing he was pack, knowing he was always going to be here with his second family the small part of him that wanted to be a werewolf had changed its mind. There was nothing that being a werewolf would ultimately give him that he did not already have. There was no need for him to change.

 

“Why not?” Scott’s grip on his arm changed slightly at the tone Jasmine used but Derek’s expression did not even flicker.

 

“There is no need for me to be a werewolf. I am part of the pack and I’m happy with how things are. Why change?”

 

“You could get hurt. Or bitten accidently.” Jasmine pushed.

 

“I have faith in every member of the pack not to hurt me, and if I was bitten then I would become a werewolf and that would be fine as well.”

 

Jasmine opened her mouth to ask more questions but her brother beat her to it. “Jas, leave it be.”

 

“So nice to meet you all.” Stiles said, the rest of the pack murmuring their agreement.

 

“Come in,” Derek said ushering his pack into the room with the three wolves. Jackson, Lydia and Danny sat in the chairs closest to John and Monica. Scott put himself between Jasmine and Allison and Stiles took the final seat which was really just a footstool but put Derek between him and Jasmine.

 

“How do you all know Derek?” Stiles asked.

 

“When he and Laura moved to New York John I met them,” Jasmine started. “We ran together a few times. John is my alpha and he and Laura dated for a while.”

 

Monica looked down and Stiles wondered briefly if Jasmine had said that deliberately.

 

“Laura and Jasmine were friendly for a long time; we stayed with them for a while in the country before I left after school. Laura stayed with them until she joined me. Then she came here and I lost touch with everyone.”

 

“It was just terrible,” Jasmine said putting her hand on Derek’s forearm. “We tried to get in touch with him but we just could not find him. Then we were travelling through California and thought we should just stop by and check. Quite lucky too since apparently you have gone back to school. Laura would be so pleased.”

 

“Yes, I think she would.” Derek said.

 

“Laura was amazing; did any of you get to meet her?” Jasmine asked.

 

“No,” Lydia said. “She passed away before we got involved in the whole werewolf thing.”

 

“Yes, how did you all get involved?”

 

No one said anything for a moment; strangely they were all looking at Stiles then Derek. Jasmine noticed, her eyes narrowed as she watched them.

 

“I was bitten first,” Scott said.

 

“Then me.” Lydia said.

 

“Then me.” Jackson added.

 

“And I was last.” Danny put in.

 

“Derek,” Jasmine dropped a hand onto Derek’s knee as he turned to her. “How is your uncle, doing any better?”

 

“Anyone want a drink?” Stiles said jumping up. “Lydia tea, Derek?”

 

The pack jumped on the distraction and Derek pulled his knee from under Jasmine’s hand as he offered to help.

 

“No, no.” Stiles said already leaving the room. “I have it, need to wait for the kettle anyway.”

 

“Are you sure he’s not your omega?” Jasmine said as he left the room.

 

“Wait up Stiles, I’ll come.” Lydia said standing and walking over to follow Stiles as Derek turned to Jasmine.

 

“No, he is definitely not my omega. I do not believe in having omegas.”

 

“Hmm.” Jasmine said. “So you’ve gone back to university. Berkley?”

 

“Yeah, Stiles and I both go there. The whole pack is in university at the moment.”

 

“You and Stiles?” Jasmine asked moving back so she could stare at Derek.

 

“We are living together.” Derek said.

 

“You are having sex with your omega?”

 

“He is not my omega!” Derek ground out.

 

“Sorry, of course.” Jasmine sat back further and watched Derek while Derek’s pack watched her. “So you and Stiles are involved?”

 

“No, we are friends.” Derek said definitely not lying.

 

Stiles and Lydia walked back into the room and handed out the drinks, Allison grabbed Lydia’s wrist when she was handed her drink Allison looked at Jasmine and crossed her eyes, Lydia raised her eyebrows and then frowned. Stiles saw the whole thing and had no idea what the hell was going on.

 

“So, what are we talking about?” Stiles asked.

 

“The fact you and Derek aren’t having sex.” Jasmine said.

 

“Jasmine!” John reprimanded.

 

“Of course Derek and I aren’t have sex, we are just friends.”

 

Jasmine stared at him for a moment and then grinned.

 

“So, we were thinking,” John said trying to change the subject. “The full moon is coming up, only a couple of days. Would you mind us sticking around? Safe place to run.”

 

“Of course.” Derek said grinning. “It’ll give us a chance to catch up.”

 

“Yes it will.” Jasmine was talking to Derek but staring at Stiles and it was starting to make him uncomfortable. “Is this your whole pack Derek?”

 

“Yes, we are small but close.”

 

“Family.” Allison said quickly.

 

“Of course,” Jasmine put her hand back on Derek’s knee. “How could they not be great, you were always so powerful and in control. I know Laura was always so proud of you.”

 

Derek flushed just a little. “Laura always had more control than me.”

 

“She was older,” Jasmine said. “So are you dating someone in the pack?”

 

“No, it’s a bad idea to date in a pack.”

 

“That’s right; we decided that after you and I…” Jasmine let the sentence hang but she pulled her hand back off of Derek.

 

Jasmine watched as Derek’s eyes flicked towards Stiles but he stopped himself before making it all the way to the younger man’s face and her eyes narrowed just slightly.

 

“Thanks for letting us stay.” Monica said.

 

“It’s fine, I have plenty of space, there are two spare rooms down here. All the ones upstairs have been claimed.” Derek said with a smile.

 

“Claimed?” Monica prompted.

 

“By us.” Lydia said. “We each have a room here for when we need to stay.”

 

“Derek encouraged us to pick rooms, which seemed fair since he made us rebuild most of his house.” Scott said.

 

“You rebuilt yourself?” John asked.

 

“Only some of it.” Derek said. “But yes for the most part the pack and I rebuilt it.”

 

“Except for Lydia,” Jackson said. “She just supervised.”

 

“I don’t do manual labour.” Lydia said looking down her nose and Jackson with a smirk firmly hidden.

 

“You don’t do a lot.” Jackson said with a grin. Lydia poked her tongue out at him.

 

“I’m starving,” Jasmine said. “What are we going to do for dinner?”

 

“That reminds me I have to go, my Dad is expecting me for dinner.” Stiles said standing and walking from the room and towards the door, he did not want to cook for Jasmine who was already looking at him with something that Stiles would call dislike – at the very least, she’d been staring at him while the pack was chatting. She already thought he was the omega and she kept touching Derek. He didn’t want to have to be here for anymore and she’d given him the perfect way out.

 

“What?” Derek and Scott said together.

 

“I forgot. Sorry. Can someone else cook?” Stiles looked at Allison and Lydia the two most likely to not kill everyone. Maybe Jackson would put his hand up though which would be excellent.

 

“You do all the cooking Stiles?” Jasmine said with a grin Stiles did not like.

 

“He is the best cook.” Danny said with a glare.

 

“Of course,” Jasmine said leaning back.

 

“Gotta go, bye.” Stiles said as he rushed from the house and into the jeep.

 

He drove home, let himself into the empty house and went upstairs to close and lock all the windows and doors. He returned down, flopped onto the couch and stared at the dark ceiling. Derek had been involved with Kate it made sense he had been involved with other women as well. It made sense that he was straight. He made a habit of falling in love with unattainable people, Lydia and Derek. Neither of them saw him as anything, even though Lydia was his friend now she did not see him as anything more, he may as well have been a eunuch as far as she was concerned. And Derek was straight, the alpha and so far out of Stiles’ league it was pathetic. Stiles needed to get over this.

 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over him.” He whispered into the dark as he closed his eyes and contemplated what was happening at Derek’s house.

 

 **TBC...**


	2. Dinner And Reprimands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part took forever to write, it was a balancing act and I hope I ended up where I wanted to.

**Part 02 – Dinner And Reprimands**

 

At Derek’s house Scott, Allison, Jackson, Danny and Lydia had all gone to the kitchen after Stiles left to make some dinner with the added bonus of avoiding Derek and the three wolves sitting and chatting. They were talking about Laura, the time the four of them had spent together and the past. Jasmine keeping the conversation on her and Derek’s shared past whenever anything more recent came up. Lydia and Allison had been the first to retreat from the lounge room after a couple of suggestive eyebrow moves that Danny had watched with confusion and interest. Danny gave them a minute before excusing himself.

 

“What are you two chatting about?” Danny asked when he came into the kitchen.

 

“Allison was telling me what Jasmine was saying when Stiles and I were making the drinks. She wants Derek.” Lydia explained, keeping her voice pitched below the sizzle of the frypan.

 

“She wants Derek but more importantly she does not like Stiles because she can see what the rest of us do.” Allison added.

 

“That Derek is arse backwards in love with Stiles.” Danny said with the same exasperation they all used when they spoke of the love that made them all want to beat their heads against the wall.

 

“She thinks she can get between them.” Lydia said.

 

“She’s delusional.” Jackson said from the doorway where he and Scott were standing. “What are we making for dinner?”

 

“We don’t need five people to make one dinner.” Allison pointed out.

 

“If I stay in there I am going to stab Jasmine with that stupid silver dagger Stiles bought Derek for Christmas and then proceeded to laugh about for an hour.” Scott said moving over and finding a peeler to start on the vegetables.

 

“I can’t go back in there.” Allison said. “She doesn’t like humans.”

 

“No,” Scott said. “You can stay with me.” Scott threw an arm around Allison and pulled her close. “I don’t like how she keeps talking about Stiles being an omega and with him gone I do not want her to start on you.”

 

Allison turned and kissed Scott.

 

“Jackson and I will go back and try not to stab anyone.” Danny said. “Unless you would like our help.”

 

“Jackson being anywhere but the kitchen is a help.” Lydia said with a vicious smile.

 

“That was one time.” Jackson complained before turning and following Danny back into the lounge room.

 

“We had so much fun that full moon, we all ran all night in that gorgeous forest. And of course, what happened at dawn…” Jasmine said when Danny and Jackson came back into the room. She trailed off but laid a hand on Derek’s knee as she said it.

 

Danny rolled his eyes as he walked behind her to sit down again, she could not be more obvious unless she stripped naked and climbed into Derek’s lap.

 

“Yes, well…” Derek said the tips of his ears a little coloured as he looked at Jackson and Danny sitting down. “John, where are you travelling that bought you to Beacon Hills?”

 

“We are on our way to LA, Monica’s aunt lives there so we are going to visit and it took us close by and Jasmine insisted we see if you were back here.” John said.

 

“Is your aunt a werewolf?” Derek asked.

 

“No, I was bitten by John about a year ago after we got engaged.” Monica said with a smile.

 

“Then I came back to town. I’d been travelling.” Jasmine interrupted.

 

“Yes,” Monica said. “Jasmine and I hadn’t met before that.”

 

“It’s a bit of a change isn’t it?” Danny said smiling at Monica.

 

“Yes, but I am pleased I asked for the bite.” Monica said squeezing John’s hand next to her.

 

“Me too.” Jackson said.

 

“You asked for the bite?” Jasmine asked.

 

“Yes.” Jackson said.

 

“So no one in your pack now is a born werewolf?” Jasmine asked turning to Derek.

 

“No, only me. Everyone else was bitten.” Derek said.

 

“What a pity, born werewolves are so much stronger.”

 

“I don’t know about that.” Derek said. “My pack is strong.”

 

“Oh I’m sure. But they would be so much stronger if you had some born wolves running around showing them what to do.”

 

“Derek is very good at training us.” Danny said.

 

“Stiles too, he comes up with the best training ideas.” Derek added.

 

“Stiles helps you train the werewolves?” Jasmine said the smile falling off her face. “He’s human.”

 

“He’s very good at creating different types of training scenarios.” Derek said with a small grin and a shrug.

 

Lydia, Scott and Allison appeared in the doorway and announced that dinner was ready.

 

“And I bet he’s an excellent rabbit.” Jasmine mumbled as she walked out of the room. Derek had just said something to John but Lydia and Scott heard her plainly.  

 

John, Derek and Monica stood and followed Jasmine into Derek’s dining room with the huge table Lydia had demanded he buy so that the whole pack could fit.

 

“I’m going to kill her.” Lydia said so quietly the pack could just heard it as they trailed behind Derek.

 

“What are we eating?” Jasmine asked when we were all sitting down.

 

“Pasta and salad.” Lydia said grabbing the salad and putting some on her plate.

 

“There is no meat in this.” Jasmine complained.

 

“No.” Allison said.

 

“You don’t eat meat?” John asked.

 

“Of course we do.” Derek said with a smile. “Just not all the time.”

 

“But you’re werewolves.” John said.

 

“Really?” Danny said sarcastically.

 

“Danny.” Derek reprimanded. “We eat normally, sometimes there’s meat not always.”

 

“And never raw.” Lydia said emphatically.

 

“What? And you call yourself a werewolf. Next you are going to tell me you don’t hunt game on the full moon.” Jasmine said looking down her nose at Lydia.

 

Jackson’s hand was firm on Lydia’s forearm. “We run on the full moon.” Jackson said.

 

“Do you hunt though?” Jasmine said taking a few tentative bites of her food.

 

Monica smiled at Allison as she ate. “This is lovely thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome.” Allison said one eye on Jasmine who looked like she wanted to spit her food out before looking at Derek who was talking to John and not seeing anything.

 

“Do you hunt?” Jasmine said loud enough for Derek to turn around.

 

“Hunt what?” Derek asked.

 

“On the full moon?” Jasmine’s entire face changed when she spoke to Derek.

 

“We have hunted but mostly we just run. Sometimes we will play games and hunt each other.” Derek explained.

 

“But you don’t try to bring down game?” John asked.

 

“We have a couple of times but Lydia has an aversion to raw meat.”

 

“It’s disgusting.” Lydia threw in.

 

“You are a werewolf, have some respect.”

 

Jackson in one of his few strokes of genius chose that moment to speak. “John, you’re an alpha how big is your pack?”

 

John took the subject change and ran with it, one eye on his sister. “At the moment just the three of us.”

 

“Where do you live?” Danny said.

 

“New York, we travel on the full moon to run and hunt.” Jasmine said.

 

“That must be exciting.” Allison said.

 

“Oh yes. There is no better place to live. I don’t know why anyone lives anywhere else.” Jasmine said with a small grin.

 

Lydia ate the food in front of her.

 

“I lived there for a while.” Allison said. “But I like it here better.”

 

Scott grinned at her.

 

“Really? Why?”

 

“I have better friends here than I have had in any other place I’ve lived.” Allison said.

 

“I see.” Allison was impressed that she had managed to make those two words sound both sincere and condescending; maybe she was just projecting the condescension.

 

“So you are all at university?” Monica asked.

 

“Yes, I’m studying at Caltech.” Lydia said trusting herself to talk.

 

“Caltech?” Monica asked.

 

“Mathematics genius.” Danny and Jackson said together.

 

Scott and Derek laughed.

 

“What?” John asked confused.

 

“Whenever anyone asks about Lydia going to Caltech Stiles proudly talks about her being a mathematical genius.” Derek explained with a smile.

 

“He’s very sweet.” Lydia said with a smile.

 

“I’m sure.” Jasmine said.

 

Lydia took a bite of her pasta and chewed it viciously.

 

“Danny, Scott and I go to University of Southern California together.” Jackson volunteered one eye on Lydia’s bitch face. He knew that face well it was the one she wore just before she tore a strip off someone’s hide.

 

“I transferred in this year.” Scott said.

 

“From?” Monica asked.

 

“California State University.” Scott explained not embarrassed. He was proud of the work he’d done last year to get into USC.

 

“A state college.” Jasmine said.

 

Allison took a large bite out of her carrot.

 

“Yeah, I did poorly on my SATs.” Scott said with a tight smile. The look on Jasmine’s face was enough to tell even him how she felt about his tertiary education.

 

“But so well last year.” Allison smiled at him just before turning a glare on Jasmine.

 

“And of course Stiles and I are at Berkley.” Derek said frowning at Allison.

 

“Of course.” Jasmine said looking down at her food to hide the frown Danny could see on the side of her face.

 

“And I go to UCSF.” Allison threw in trying to keep the tone light.

 

“San Francisco?” Monica asked.

 

“Yeah, I am really enjoying it there.”

 

“I used to go and visit my uncle who lived there. The trams are great.”

 

“Only way to travel.” Allison said with a smile.

 

“Your pack is so spread out Derek. Is that a good idea?” John asked.

 

“I think so; it isn’t fair of me to stop them from going off and getting a good education.” Derek said.

 

“But shouldn’t you have all gone somewhere together.” Monica asked.

 

“No, I couldn’t have handled Caltech.” Scott said with a grin.

 

“We could have gone to MIT.” Lydia said poking her tongue out at Scott.

 

“You got into MIT as well.” Jasmine said surprised.

 

“Yes.” Lydia responded.

 

“Hmm.” Jasmine said looking at the piece of capsicum impaled on her fork. Lydia pushed her salad around finding a carrot and chomped on the hard vegetable.

 

“It is a bad idea for packs to be so spread out.” Jasmine said looking at Derek. “It will weaken you.”

 

“We are all in the same state and only Lydia and Allison are alone.” Danny defended.

 

“And I’m human.” Allison said cheerfully.

 

“Yes you are.” Jasmine said with a condescending glint in her eye.

 

“We get together often.” Derek said. “Like this week, we are all here for the full moon.”

 

“But if something were to happen to one of you.” Monica said.

 

“We drop everything and go.” Lydia said. “What else would we do?”

 

“So you’ve had to do it?” John said.

 

“Yes.” Scott said as Derek’s head dropped down to stare at the last of the food on his plate. “Stiles got hurt last year.”

 

“Stiles? He’s not even a part of the pack.” Jasmine said with a frown.

 

“Yes he is.” Lydia said vehemently glaring openly at Jasmine.

 

“Lydia!” Derek said. “Jasmine, Stiles is just as much a part of the pack as any of the werewolves.”

 

“No he can’t be, he’s not a werewolf.” Jasmine said with a you’re-stupid tone in her voice.

 

“So?” Jackson asked.

 

“Humans are not really members of a wolf pack.” Jasmine said glaring at Jackson when Derek was staring at Jackson as well.

 

“They are a part of our wolf pack.” Scott said firmly.

 

Derek was looking at all of his pack with a frown his face turning slightly thunderous. “Jasmine. Stiles is a member of my pack human or not.”

 

“Of course. Sorry.” Jasmine said looking awfully apologetic. “I have just never seen it before.” Derek returned Jasmine’s smile.

 

Monica yawned behind her hand and then looked up apologetically. “Sorry, Derek do you mind if I go to bed, we started early this morning.”

 

“Of course not.” Derek said. “The pack can clean up while I show you all to a room.”

 

Jasmine curled her arm around Derek’s elbow when she stood and walked with him further into the house.

 

The pack cleaned the table, did the dishes and grabbed their stuff waiting at the doorway for Derek to come back so they could finally get out of the house.

 

“We need to talk.” Derek said with a glare as he opened his front door.

 

Derek walked his pack out of the house and walked into the woods the pack trailing behind him looking down at the ground as they walked.

 

Derek finally turned around and glared at his pack. “I cannot believe how rude you all were to Jasmine, John and Monica.”

 

“Derek.” Danny started.

 

“No.” Derek said. “I know they don’t act like we do. They are more traditional than we are. Please just respect them. And stop being so rude. They are not doing anything wrong they just don’t do things the same way we do.”

 

“Derek.” Lydia started.

 

“No.” Derek interrupted. “You had no right to be so rude to my guests. You need to be polite to them, don’t bait them. There was no reason for your behaviour tonight. I am disappointed in all of you.”

 

“Sorry.” The pack all said with annoyed faces.

 

Derek nodded. “Thanks, I’ll see you all tomorrow. Bring your manners!” Derek said before he turned and went back into the house leaving his pack to go home.

 

“Can you believe that?” Lydia fumed.

 

“Yes,” Danny said. “They are old friends who knew Laura and Jasmine was nice to Derek and rude to us.”

 

“I am not spending tomorrow with that woman.” Lydia said firmly.

 

“No.” Allison said. “None of us are. We’ll do something else instead.”

 

The pack made their plans and drove away leaving Derek with his harpy of an old friend.

 

**TBC...  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Derek needed to be in the dark about what Jasmine was doing without being an idiot and Jasmine needed to be keeping Derek in the dark but not the pack. I’m not sure I got what I want but let me know. Derek has a bit of a blind spot and I need that for what is coming.


	3. Pack Commiserations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains spoilers for the real Star Wars movies, and a fair amount of people hitting Jackson upside the head.   
> No Jasmine in this chapter…everyone wanted to give Stiles a hug not just the people who commented on the last chapter…thank you all so much for that :D   
> The next part Jasmine comes back, it will take longer for me to get out.

**Part 03 – Pack Commiserations**

 

Stiles came downstairs the next morning to find Scott and Allison in his kitchen, Lydia, Danny and Jackson in his living room and enough junk food on the coffee table to send a group of werewolves into sugar shock. He was still in his sleep pants, old lacrosse gear that was so soft and comfortable from years of wear that they hung low on his hips with half the school’s name worn off. Lydia wolf whistled him, which made him chuckle if only because she was a werewolf.

 

“What’s going on?” Stiles asked dropping down next to Danny on the couch.

 

“Well Jasmine is a bitch and a whore so we are not going to Derek’s today and since we assumed you weren’t going back today either since we aren’t training until tomorrow and there is no real reason to go we came over here instead.” Lydia said throwing her legs over Danny’s knees her feet resting in Stiles’ lap.

 

“She was all over Derek last night. It was pathetic.” Allison said from the doorway.

 

“And he doesn’t see it. Then he told us off for being mean to her! Defended her.” Jackson complained from the other side of Lydia.

 

“Well,” Stiles said standing up. “If we are going to hang out I’m just going to have a quick shower. You guys just continue to make yourselves at home.” Stiles moved from the room everyone’s eyes following him from the room.

 

When they heard the shower above them start Lydia stood up and faced her pack. “Not one of you will mention Jasmine or Derek again today. Do you understand?”

 

“You mentioned them first.” Jackson pouted still rubbing the back of his neck where she had hit him.

 

“Yes, but his eyes turned all sad.” Lydia said. “And Derek is still deliberately oblivious therefore we will need to make sure Stiles is okay until Jasmine is gone or Derek is able to see past the fact she is an old friend who knew Laura.”

 

“Lydia you are just a big old softie aren’t you.” Danny said with a smile, it turned to a pained grimace when Lydia pinched his neck causing an undignified squeak. “No, you’re right you are a complete bitch.”

 

“Thank you darling.” Lydia said with a smile.

 

Moments later the water above shut off and Lydia turned her eyes to the pack. “We know Derek loves Stiles, Stiles is still ignorant. Derek cannot see that Jasmine dislikes Stiles and made him feel uncomfortable last night. So, today we are going to spend the day with Stiles and not talk about any of it and tomorrow we will go to training and Stiles will be fine.”

 

“I thought they’d crack when they started to live together.” Allison said with a sigh.

 

“I am going to knock their heads together soon.” Lydia agreed just before they heard Stiles coming down the stairs.

 

“How’d you guys get into the house?” Stiles asked when he came back into the room slightly damp but fully clothed.

 

“Stiles, I have had a key to your house since I was thirteen.” Scott said with a shrug.

 

“Yeah, but Dad was here this morning.”

 

“He let me in.” Lydia said. “I was early. We weren’t going to get here until after he left.”

 

“And he didn’t wake me up when he let you in?” Stiles threw himself back onto the couch next to Danny.

 

“He said you had gone to sleep late and Scott walked in just behind me so he let us come in.” Lydia shrugged.

 

“So what is the plan for today?” Stiles asked grabbing some Cheezels and throwing them into the air to catch them.

 

“Movies, junk food, Chinese, you know fun.” Jackson said.

 

“Do you want to have breakfast before you start eating junk food?” Allison asked she was met with confused looks from all of the boys in the room. Even Danny was looking at her like she was silly.

 

“You don’t fill up on toast when there is junk food to be eaten.” Stiles said reaching for the liquorice and facing the television. “What are we watching?”

 

“What is your favourite movie marathon?” Scott asked.

 

“Star Wars.” Stiles said easily.

 

“That is what we are watching.” Danny said grinning.

 

Lydia groaned and then looked at Allison. “At least we get to perve on Hayden Christensen after the first one.”

 

Allison, Danny and Stiles looked at her like she was insane.

 

“You start with the proper ones.” Allison explained.

 

“Proper ones?” Lydia asked looking to Jackson who shrugged.

 

“The original trilogy. Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke and Leia, ewoks and Darth Vadar!” Stiles explained, Allison, Danny and Scott all nodded in agreement.

 

“I don’t think I’ve seen them.” Lydia said.

 

“Oh my God, what a travesty. Well we have to rectify that. Scott put Star Wars in.” Stiles said pointing to the television.

 

“Have you seen them?” Lydia asked Jackson.

 

“No, I was too busy having a life.” Danny and Scott punched Jackson for his comment and then every sat down as yellow words flew across the screen, four of the watchers excited the others just a little scared of their friends.

 

As the movie started the pack crowded onto the one couch, much too small for all of them until Lydia was basically sitting in Stiles’ lap and Jackson was sitting on the arm rest keeping his balance by leaning on Danny’s shoulder.

 

/ * / * /

 

“Hey that’s Harrison Ford.” Lydia said surprised.

 

“No, that’s Han Solo!” Scott corrected.

 

/ * / * /

 

“Where are the subtitles telling us what the giant teddy bear is saying?” Jackson asked.

 

Danny slapped Jackson on the back of the head. “He is a wookie dickhead and there are no subtitles. It’s subtext!”

 

“What?” Jackson said. “What’s a wookie.”

 

“Shut up.” Allison said.

 

/ * / * /

 

“Holy shit are they going to get squashed? What about the mind thingy.” Lydia said.

 

“The Force!” Scott corrected.

 

/ * / * /

 

“He’s just going to leave them. Stupid man!” Lydia said throwing some popcorn at the screen.

 

“How stupid is it that you can shoot at the only vulnerable part. Shouldn’t they protect that bit?” Jackson asked.

 

“Shut up,” Allison said.

 

/ * / * /

 

“Oh he is a good guy.” Lydia said.

 

“He’s Han Solo.” Stiles said with a grin.

 

/ * / * /

 

“What the fuck is that woman doing with her hair.” Lydia complained.

 

“Don’t knock the bun ears.” Stiles said.

 

“Seriously Stiles?”

 

“Don’t judge me.” Stiles said putting his chin in the air.

 

/ * / * /

 

“Okay, so I don’t think it was as bad as all that.” Jackson said grudgingly.

 

“I liked it. Now I need real food, I think I have sugar and fake cheese seeping out of my pores.” Lydia said.

 

“I’ll make some sandwiches.” Stiles said attempting to get out from under the mass of bodies on his couch.

 

“No.” Danny said. “I am making them, well we are making them. You aren’t doing anything today.”

 

“Why?” Stiles frowned.

 

“Because you always feed us, today we feed you.”

 

“Not Jackson.” Stiles and Lydia said together.

 

“That was one time.” Jackson complained but nodded in agreement anyway.

 

Danny, Allison, Lydia and Scott made sandwiches for everyone while Jackson and Stiles sat at the table and watched them. When the food was made they put the next movie in and all squeezed themselves back onto the couch and started eating as the yellow writing started scrolling across the screen Scott and Stiles putting on deep and rumbling voices to read it as one.

 

/ */ * /

 

“Oh my God.” Jackson moaned. “That is disgusting!”

 

“He has to survive somehow.” Scott said.

 

“He’s in the stomach of an animal. That is disgusting!”

 

“Yeah, you’re right. Much better to freeze to death.” Stiles said in a bored voice.

 

/ * / * /

 

“Luke and Leia”

 

“No, Han and Leia.”

 

“Luke and Leia.”

 

“Han and Leia.”

 

“Shut up.” Allison said.

 

/ * / * /

 

“ **That** is Yoda?” Jackson asked.

 

“Yes, shut up.” Danny demanded.

 

/ * / * /

 

“That is not an asteroid.” Lydia said.

 

“Space bats!” Jackson said with glee.

 

/ * / * /

 

“How can he be Darth Vader?”

 

“He’s not Darth Vader Jackson. It’s a vision.” Lydia said throwing some cheezels at Jackson across Stiles who leaned forward to capture on between his teeth.

 

/ * / * /

 

“See, if he wasn’t meant to be with Leia Luke would not be able to sense her like that.” Jackson said proud of his logic.

 

/ * / * /

 

“What happened to C-3P0?” Jackson asked.

 

“I don’t like him, he’s annoying.” Lydia said with a dismissive wave.

 

“He’s meant to be annoying.” Danny explained.

 

/ * / * /

 

“I know! I know! She says she’s in love with him and the best he can do is I know!” Lydia ranted.

 

“It’s sweet.” Allison said. “Well it’s not but somehow it is…just go with it. He’s Han.”

 

/ * / * /

 

“Holy crap, his hand!”

 

/ * / * /

 

“What the fuck?” Jackson asked looking at Danny in confusion.

 

“Oh that’s where it comes from, I never knew…he’s Luke’s father. Why is he trying to kill him?” Lydia said turning to see Stiles’ face.

 

“You don’t jump off a ledge you twit.” Jackson yelled at the television.

 

/ * / * /

 

As the second movie ended Lydia turned to Stiles. “Next one please.”

 

“I have converted you to the dark side.” He said with glee tickling Lydia. Danny attacked Stiles’ left side to save Lydia at the same time Scott went for his right. Stiles and Lydia ended up on the floor their flailing limbs dragging Danny and Jackson down with them until everyone was piled on the floor attacking any vulnerable spot until Danny let out an undignified squeal followed swiftly by Allison as Scott’s glass of ice water rained down on them. The pack scrambled up in a mess of limbs before collapsing back on the couch to catch their breaths.

 

Allison jumped up to put the last DVD in and everyone curled back onto the couch to watch.

 

/ * / * /

 

“What is she wearing?” Jackson asked in awe.

 

“The best costume in the history of cinema.” Stiles said with a grin.

 

/ * / * /

 

“Yoda can’t die.” Lydia said.

 

/ * / * /

 

“They are brother and sister?” Jackson said loudly.

 

“Yep.” Stiles said.

 

“Huh.”

 

/ * / * /

 

“Oh they are so cute.” Lydia said.

 

“Ewoks.” Allison said. “I used to have a stuffed one on my bed.”

 

“Jealous.”

 

/ * / * /

 

“No! They cannot kill the ewoks.” Jackson said with a pout.

 

/ * / * /

 

“Holy shit, that guy shoots electricity out of his fingers. Seriously!” Jackson said with high eyebrows.

 

“He is one with the dark side.” Allison explained.

 

/ * / * /

 

“Go Darth Vader. Dude is badass.”

 

/ * / * /

 

“Finally. Three movies and they finally get together. I hate stupid people who cannot see they are in love with each other.” Lydia said with a sigh.

 

“Yeah, they do make you want to kick them both.” Stiles said not seeing the exasperated looks on the rest of the faces in the room as they stared at him.

 

/ * / * /

 

“Okay that was pretty good.” Lydia said.

 

“I know right.” Stiles said curling his arms around Lydia and hugging her.

 

“I liked it too.” Jackson said.

 

“I tried to get you to watch those movies for years. Years. See you should always listen to me.” Danny complained.

 

Jackson looked the other way. “Sorry dude.”

 

Danny clipped Jackson around the back of the head with a chuckle.

 

/ * / * /

 

The group ordered Chinese and sat around the table playing monopoly and eating, Danny winning with glee.

 

/ * / * /

 

“Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?” Danny asked as they were packing the last of the junk food away later that night, the rest of the pack washing the dishes so the sheriff didn’t yell at Stiles.

 

“I’m not going.” Stiles said shoving a couple of mint leaves in his mouth that wouldn’t fit in the container. Everyone in the room froze and stared at him. “What?”

 

“You’re not coming?” Scott said.

 

“To training?” Danny asked.

 

“Werewolf training, where there will be born werewolves you can study.” Jackson asked.

 

“Stiles.” Allison said moving forward. “Why aren’t you going to go?”

 

“Are you going Allison?”

 

“No, I’m going to lunch with my mother.” Allison said with a pinched expression. “I would prefer to be going to the training.”

 

“I am spending tomorrow with my father.” Stiles said.

 

“Your dad’s on day shifts.” Lydia pointed out.

 

Stiles sighed and dropped on the chair next to him. “No. I am spending the day with dad.”

 

“Stiles.” Scott said coming to sit next to him.

 

“It’s the bitch isn’t it?” Lydia said.

 

“No.” Stiles shook his head. “I just…oh crap you all know don’t you.” Stiles looked up horrified finally working out what today had been, them all trying to make him feel better because Derek and Jasmine…he wanted to throw himself off his roof. “You’re all giving me the same look and I only told two of you.”

 

“Umm.” Jackson said. “We all kinda worked it out.”

 

“Is it obvious?” Stiles asked. “I mean if Jackson was able to work it out.”

 

Lydia laughed and went to sit on Stiles’ lap. “Stiles, Derek has no idea. We know because we know you. You’re jealous.”

 

“Yes.” Stiles said dropping his chin onto Lydia’s shoulder. “But it’s not just that. I don’t particularly like the way she was looking at me. Like I was gum on the bottom of her shoe.”

 

“She’s a cow. I am going to talk to Derek.” Lydia said firmly.

 

“No!” Stiles stood up shoving Lydia from his lap.

 

“What?” Danny asked.

 

“None of you can say a thing to Derek.”

 

“What?” Danny asked again trying to understand.   
  


“Don’t say anything to Derek. I might be jealous but that doesn’t matter. There is no one else we have met who knew Laura. He deserves to have friends who knew her. People that he can talk to about her. So you cannot say anything about her disliking me.”

 

“Stiles.” Allison started. “He could at the very least talk to her about being nice. She was a bitch last night.”

 

“What did he say about it?” Stiles asked curiously.

 

“That they come from a more traditional pack and that we need to just give them some leeway.” Danny said with an unpleasant face.

 

“Then I will stay away from training since it is supposed to only be werewolves and I’ll come for the pack meeting.” Stiles said with a small smile.

 

“Stiles, we should tell Derek. He’d be annoyed that she is being mean to you.” Scott said gently, knowing that his best friend would not believe him if he was honest and said that Derek was as in love with Stiles as Stiles was with Derek. That if Derek he knew that Jasmine was actually being mean to Stiles or saying things about him being hunted as a rabbit by the pack that Derek was likely to rip Jasmine apart with his bare hands.

 

“But she’s not.” Stiles reminded them. “She couldn’t understand why I was there because she comes from a family where there were no humans. All the non-werewolves were turned. That is what she knows, so she’ll get over it or she’ll leave and things will be fine. So we are going to do what Derek wants; we are going to be nice to them for the week they are here. None of you are going to say anything about her not liking me to Derek and none of you will tell him I don’t like her because I’m just being petty and jealous. Please, just do this for me.”

 

“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Danny said, Allison and Lydia nodding with him.

 

“But it is the right thing to do. All of you need to swear to me that you won’t say a thing to Derek about Jasmine and that you will be at least civil to them if you cannot be nice to them.” Stiles looked at each person in the room as he spoke.

 

“Okay.” Jackson said. “I promise.”

 

“I do too.” Danny added.

 

“Alright, I won’t say anything.” Allison said.

 

Stiles waited for Lydia and Scott but neither of them looked like they were about to say anything. “Scott, for me.”

 

“Stiles this is a bad idea.”

 

“I only have good ideas.” Stiles said with a grin.

 

“No you don’t but like everything else I suppose I will follow you into this lunacy as well. I promise.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Don’t even bother.” Lydia said crossing her arms and sitting down on Stiles’ chair.

 

“Lydia.”

 

“No!”

 

“Lydia.” Stiles said dropping down to his knees in front of Lydia and crossing his arms on her knees.

 

“No!”

 

“Lydia.” Stiles poked his bottom lip out just a little and dropped his chin onto his folded arms looking up at Lydia through his eyelashes.

 

“No!”

 

“Lydia.” Stiles said again letting his voice plead just a little.

 

“No!”

 

“Lydia.” Stiles pleaded a little more. “I’ll only see her at the pack meeting.”

 

“You’re not coming on the full moon?” Jackson said earning a glare from Stiles before he turned back to Lydia pout out in full force.

 

“Just once, so it’s not a big thing. I just don’t want anyone to make this visit bad for Derek; he has no family.”

 

“He has us.” Danny said.

 

“Yes.” Stiles said. “But someone who can talk to him about Laura. That is important. Trust me. If I had someone who could talk to me about mum without looking like they’d been punched…you don’t know how important it is. We need to do this for Derek.”

 

“I hate you.” Lydia said leaning down to give Stiles a hug. “I promise.” She said glaring at him.

 

“Love you too Lydia.” Stiles grinned.

 

“We are going to have to go, you know Derek is going to slaughter us tomorrow since he’ll be showing off and we haven’t trained together in a while.” Danny said with a sigh.

 

“Yes, all of you get out of my house.” Stiles said standing up and ushering the pack from his house. “Oh, and try to hide them until we can tell him together.”

 

“Okay.” Scott and Jackson agreed.

 

They all said their goodbyes and left Stiles’ house, leaving him to putter around the house waiting for his dad to get home.

  ****

**TBC...  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this a good idea Stiles? Share your opinion.


	4. Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I know it’s slack of me but I just didn’t want to write the actual training. I would like to do so one day but I really want to get the next part out…already written.

**Part 04 – Training**

 

Stiles’ alarm went off at 7am with the word ‘training’ flashing at him, he looked at his mobile phone for a moment then turned off his alarm and went back to bed, he wasn’t needed for training and another day to fortify himself before he had to watch Derek and Jasmine flirt would hopefully give him enough time to not let Derek notice anything. He’d already told the pack he wasn’t coming, they would tell Derek who wouldn’t mind too much since he had new people to keep him occupied.

 

Derek watched the door; everyone trailed in…no Stiles. He hadn’t been around the day before and he was late. Well not late, but Stiles was always the first member of the pack to get to Derek’s house. Derek snagged Scott’s arm and pulled him into another room away from the rest of the pack.

 

“Where is Stiles?” Derek asked when the door was closed behind them.

 

“At home, he’s spending that day with his dad.” Scott said focussing very hard on Stiles telling him that the night before.

 

“Oh.” Derek said. “That’s good. He doesn’t get to see his dad enough anymore.”

 

“I know.” Scott said.

 

Derek waved him out the door and when Scott pulled it open Jasmine was standing on the other side trying very hard to look like she had not been eavesdropping.

 

“Jasmine, we’re meeting in the lounge room.” Derek said striding past them both and leading the way into the room.

 

When everyone was in the room Jasmine stood up in front of everybody.

 

“Everyone.” Jasmine said. “I want to apologise for my behaviour when we met. Derek talked to me about how your pack is and John told me that I needed to remember that none of you come from a family of wolves so you are all ignorant of the ways that we were raised and I need to remember that this is Derek’s pack.” She sent Derek a simpering smile. “And if you do things differently to how we do then I will respect that. I do hope we can all get along for the remainder of the time I am here.”

 

Jasmine turned a sugary sweet smile on the pack. None of them said anything but one by one they looked at Derek and remembered their promise to Stiles and with inner grimaces they smiled at Jasmine and accepted her apology.

 

“Right.” Derek said after Jasmine had sat down. “John, Monica and Jasmine are going to train with us today.”

 

“Great.” Danny said pragmatically. “What are we doing today?”

 

“Sparring.” Derek said.

 

“The round robin one Stiles set up?” Scott asked.

 

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking.” Derek nodded.

 

“I shall remain supreme ruler of the universe.” Jackson said flexing his arms until Lydia slapped him upside the head with a grin.

 

“What?” Monica asked with a smile.

 

“Stiles set up a running champion board when we were all living here in town.” Lydia said keeping an eye on Jasmine as she spoke. “It included all of the games and challenges we did.”

 

“And you beat Derek?” Jasmine said turning to Jackson.

 

“God no.” Jackson said with an easy grin. “But he’s the alpha and doesn’t count; I generally lose this one spectacularly to Derek after I beat everyone else.”

 

Jasmine smiled at him though it didn’t reach her eyes. “We’ll have to see if John and I can give you a run for your money.”

 

“Oh we don’t bet, but the winner does get the biggest bit of whatever Allison baked last.” Scott said with a dopey grin just thinking about the apple pie she’d given him this morning before he’d left for training and she’d gone home to meet her mother.

 

“Okay!” Derek said with an evil grin. “Warm up then we are doing the run to the lake.”

 

This betas groaned but stood and went outside to warm up and start the hideously long run to the lake, this was the worst warm up Derek ever made them do, the only thing making it better was that Stiles normally did the run with them and at the large rock half way there he’d throw himself onto it and start moaning about dying. Derek would glare and the two of them would fight and finally Derek would growl and tell everyone to bloody well run back to the house before all their hard work warming up was for nothing.

 

Jackson, Danny and Scott moaned when they ran past the rock. Derek laughed at them from up ahead and told them to keep running. They made it back to the house and the three male betas slumped over hating the fact that their lacrosse training while enough for the game was not enough to stand up to Derek at his dictatorial alpha best.

 

Lydia laughed at them all, glowing from the faint sheen of sweat and breathing no heavier than Derek.

 

“I hate you.” Jackson said with a glare.

 

“Oh sweetheart, just because I am so much more spectacular than you shouldn’t make you jealous. After all you’d think you’d be used to it by now.”

 

Jackson growled at Lydia just before Derek slapped him on the back and started pairing everyone off.

 

The first round was slow for most of the pairings, still warming up, getting the feel for their opponents, all but Jasmine and Jackson. Jackson paying for bragging about his prowess by being summarily beaten by the older woman after a long and hard fight. Jackson sporting a twisted ankle and gash down his arm, Jasmine with a black eye, claw marks running the length of one thigh and a bruised wrist. They both shook hands after the match and Jasmine smiled at him as he hopped away waiting for his ankle to heal.

 

Derek and John opted out of the second round preferring to let the betas fight and moving amongst the fights correcting techniques, encouraging different tactics and stopping fights to show their packs what they need to do.

 

The end of the second round saw Danny moving over to the porch after an accidental swipe by Lydia had opened up his torso down almost to the bone. He was sent to recuperate wishing, not for the first time today, that Stiles was here since he was good at cleaning and patching and then distracting the wounded wolf from the weird, itching, tickling, burning and tingling sensation of a wound knitting together under the power of their advanced healing. Jasmine won again, this time against Scott and Danny was set the task of keeping a track of the fights.

 

The third round saw Monica and Jackson sit out as well after a vicious three-way fight with Scott which ended up with both Monica and Jackson laughing as the stumbled over to Danny and collapsed on the porch to nurse Monica’s broken wrist and the gash on Jackson’s temple which was gushing blood. Scott bounded over to apologise but was waved off by both of them with a smile so Scott felt confident bragging about beating Jackson and thinking of ways to get Stiles to note it on the board in the basement.

 

Jasmine and Lydia had started a fight but were still not finished when Scott was done so Derek sent the younger man in as well. He did not last long, Lydia knocking Scott out with a painful blow that caught Scott too hard when he moved the wrong way. Leaving Lydia and Jasmine to circle each other both bloody and bruised but neither giving an inch.

 

Later, when both girls were breathing too heavily and neither was giving the other any leeway and everyone was sure that one of them was going to maim the other before the fight was over John and Derek called an end to the fight. Neither of the girls listened and both alphas had to throw themselves into the middle of the fray to pull them apart.

 

“Excellent fight Lydia, you did very well.” Jasmine said with a sweet smile pushing her hair out of her face and swiping the dripping blood from her arm.

 

“You as well.” Lydia said taking Jasmine’s hand and shaking it forcefully.

 

“Very good fight.” John said. “Excellent sportsmanship,” he said putting his hand on Jasmine’s arm.

 

“Thanks John.” Jasmine said with a smile and suddenly Derek’s pack could see what Jasmine’s real smiles looked like. Sweet and large without the bitter edge they had all seen so far.

 

Everyone headed inside, all but Lydia and Jasmine healed and mainly cleaned up. They settled in the kitchen after Lydia allowed Danny to wipe away most of the blood to see if there were any worse wounds that might need him to actually do some first aid. Nothing but scrapes and bruises luckily as Stiles was really the only pack member any good at proper first aid apart from Derek.

 

“Okay guys.” Derek said aiming his attention at his pack. “If you want to clean up here go for it but you can go home whenever you want. Pack meeting tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

 

“We can go?” Danny said as Jackson and Scott started backing out of the room as quietly and quickly as they could.

 

“Yes.” Derek said attempting to hide his grin.

 

“Excellent.” Danny said turning and leaving the house quickly just behind Jackson and Scott.

 

“Why?” Lydia asked her face open and smiling but Derek could see something calculating in the way she was looking at him, she was an impertinent little genius girl.

 

“I have some things to do tonight.” Derek replied.

 

“Things.” One of Lydia’s perfectly plucked eyebrows rose and Derek felt the overwhelming need to pinch Lydia so she would stop looking at him like that.

 

“I need to go out and do some things Lydia.” Derek said wrapping his hand around Lydia’s shoulder and pushing her out of the room. “Go home.”

 

“Out?” Lydia said with a grin as Derek closed the door just as he pushed her from the house.

 

“Out?” Jasmine echoed moments later.

 

Derek turned and smiled at her. “Yes, you three will be able to take care of yourself right?” Derek directed the question to John and Monica as well.

 

“Of course.” Monica said.

 

“Help yourselves to anything.” Derek said with a grin as he fished his jacket, wallet and mobile out.

 

“Thanks.” John said. “Do you want to go for a walk Monica?” John’s eyes turned soft and dropped down to Monica’s face.

 

“Please.” Monica looked at Jasmine quickly and said goodbye to Derek before they both left the house.

 

“Do you want company?” Jasmine asked with the same sweet smile she’d been using all day that Derek could not for the life of him remember from all those years ago in Brooklyn.

 

“No, I’m just going to pick up a few things and check on one of my pack.” Derek went searching for his keys.

 

“Stiles?” Jasmine asked. “He’s with his dad.”

 

“Yes!” Derek said with a large grin holding up the keys which had been hiding from him. “But he needs to be here tomorrow and he has never missed a training session before. Best to check on him. I’m not sure when I’ll be home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

Derek smiled again and swept out of the house not noticing the look on Jasmine’s face.

 

**TBC...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Jasmine next chapter…I love the next chapter. It will be up tomorrow, promise.


	5. Mark Of The Pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay the idea of this chapter along with the idea of an ex-girlfriend coming back who Stiles was jealous of were the basis of this fic, I didn’t start (months ago when I thought of this story) with the idea of Jasmine being a slut, mole, harlot (my mother’s saying it’s a weird story about a woman named Lois) but it seems in my head Derek has a type HEHE! So I hope you enjoy this as this is my absolute favourite chapter so far, I know Derek isn’t seeing anything but remember he did talk to Jasmine about her behaviour and Jasmine has been deliberately nice around Derek since then.

**Part 05 – Mark Of The Pack**

 

Stiles stood up when someone knocked on his door. It shouldn’t be the pack, but they might have decided to come back and see him again after training.

 

Stiles opened the door and found Derek standing on the other side staring at him and carrying a pizza. Even though Stiles had been avoiding Derek seeing him made Stiles just a little happy, okay seeing Derek made the tight feeling that had lived in Stiles’ chest since he’d seen him sitting next to Jasmine shrink in a painfully sad way. Scott had texted him earlier and said Derek accepted his excuse without question, really that should have been Stiles’ first clue that Derek would rock up…he never accepted your excuse unless you were the one giving it.

 

“Hi Derek, what are you doing here?” Stiles moved out of the doorway letting Derek in.

 

“I had some stuff to do and we are having a pack meeting tomorrow which I wanted to tell you about so I came to check on you, when I was getting fuel your dad stopped next to me, turns out he is working tonight. So I thought I’d bring dinner and find out why you haven’t been around, normally you are at my house whenever your dad is at work but you haven’t been.” Derek dropped the pizza box on the coffee table and went into the kitchen got himself a coke and a glass of milk for Stiles who was grabbing some napkins.

 

Stiles sat on the couch and threw the lid off the box. “Awesome, pepperoni.”

 

“So where have you been?” Derek asked taking a bite out of his piece.

 

“Here, hanging out with Dad when he’s been home and-”

 

Stiles was cut off when Derek grabbed his arm and turned it so he could see Stiles’ bare wrist. “What is this?”

 

Stiles looked down at his wrist, the cream he’d put on it earlier having soaked in and gone clear showing the tattoo beneath. “A tattoo.”

 

“This is my tattoo.”

 

“Smaller, and somewhere else.” Stiles said agreeing, leaving his forearm in Derek’s grip while he took another bite out of his pizza.

 

“Why?”

 

“We were talking about getting a tattoo as like a pack thing, or maybe just all together, Jackson and Danny were saying they always wanted one.” Stiles kept eating, swallowing and continuing with his story while Derek stared at his tattoo the slice completely forgotten in his hand. “I made a suggestion we get yours since that is the mark of our pack.”

 

“The mark of our pack?” Derek asked his eyes strangely electric blue and his thumb pressed directly over the tattoo on Stiles’ wrist. It hurt a little but Stiles wasn’t worried about that instead focussing on the strange look on Derek’s face.

 

“Yeah, I remembered in my readings that normally packs will have a mark that identifies them, something they all share, traditionally a tattoo. I don’t know what your family’s mark was but this seemed more…it’s already your mark and you are the alpha we all choose to follow so it seemed that your mark should be the mark of our pack.”

 

Derek stared at Stiles for a long time. Stiles kept doing this to him. He was always giving Derek things he didn’t know he wanted. It was an old custom for packs to have a symbol that was theirs, just theirs. His family’s one had been a complicated series of interwoven spirals but after the fire neither he nor Laura chose to take on the mark, a right of passage when a wolf reached a certain age in a familial pack or when they accepted the authority of the alpha in a made pack. That could never be his pack’s mark because of the history that went with it but this, he’d gotten the tattoo the day he turned eighteen. It was the mark that had been on his grandfather’s journal.

 

“My grandfather used to sit me on his lap when I was little.” Derek started not even realising he was talking but Stiles froze and looked at him completely focussed. “He had this journal he would write in, he’d show me the front of the book with the tiniest, slanted writing and would tell me that his father’s father’s father had started the book when he was bitten by a werewolf. His grandfather had continued the book when he took over as the alpha, then his father and finally him. My dad got the book when he took over as alpha. It was for writing about the major events in the pack’s life. New members, births, deaths, alliances, disagreements, etc. Anything important was written in there. On the front cover was this mark.” Derek smoothed his thumb over the tattoo again. “When I was eighteen, the day of my birthday I went and got the tattoo, I couldn’t get our family’s mark. It wasn’t right but this mark reminded me of my grandfather sitting me on his lap, my nana would make me hot chocolate and he would read me stories from the book, he skimmed over the bad ones I think. But it was all so fascinating.”

 

“Why was it on the front of the book?” Stiles asked in a soft voice.

 

“Do you know what the symbol is?” Derek asked his eyes lifting from Stiles’ tattoo for a moment before flicking back down.

 

“A triskelion.” Stiles said. “It took me a while to find it.”

 

“Do you know what it means?”

 

“Not really, there were conflicting ideas when I was researching.”

 

“My great great great grandmother was Irish; the story was that she was a witch but that’s not important. The symbol is connected to the idea of moving forward, of progress. She gave him the journal because his transformation was a progression, not something to regret but something to be embraced, something to be rejoiced which would be the next phase of his life. There was an inscription in the front of the journal; she had big, looping writing and she explained how she loved him and how she thought he was special as well as what the symbol means. The other part of the meaning behind the triskelion is the three arms are the three levels of man – spirit, mind and body. The three things that would need to work in synchronicity to be in control of the wolf. What you need to remember so that you can be the werewolf and the man in balance.” Derek explained his thumb swirling around the symbol beneath his thumb tracing the edges and the three protrusions.

 

“So we picked well?” Stiles asked when Derek has been quiet for a while.

 

Derek wanted to pull Stiles closer, wrap him up in his arms and tell him how amazing he was. He wanted to thank Stiles for being everything he needed and not even trying, for giving him things he didn’t realise he wanted and things he didn’t realise were important just because he cared about Derek. Because he thought about the people in his life, because he cared for them. It was getting harder not to tell Stiles, harder not to beg the younger man to love him even though in the end Derek loving him would end in pain.

 

“It’s perfect. You all got them?” Derek asked his eyes electric blue when he looked at Stiles again.

 

“Yeah, mine on my wrist, Scott and Jackson on their arms,” Stiles’ said cupping his upper arm just where it stopped being a shoulder. “Danny on his shoulder.” Stile’s arm moved around to press against his shoulder blade. “Lydia on her lower back off to the side,” Stiles pressed his finger to the space over his lower back where Derek knew there was a little indentation in his skin. “Allison came with us but decided not to get one, said if she did she’d get it on the back of her neck just where her hair stopped. But she said she wasn’t sure it was a good idea yet. Scott was sad but I hope he gets it. She’s there because of him and getting a tattoo for your boyfriend is…permanent.”

 

“All tattoos are permanent.” Derek said.

 

“Yes, but relationships aren’t. The rest of them are werewolves too. I am a human but I am not here because of anyone but myself. I am in the pack for me. Getting this is only about me.”

 

“For her it wouldn’t be, it would be about him. She needs to decide if she wants in for her before she can get her own one.” Derek said finishing Stiles’ thought.

 

“Exactly. If you are going to permanently mark your body you have to do it for the right reasons.”

 

“You gave the pack a symbol.” Derek said looking down at the tattoo beneath the plastic protection.

 

“Is that okay?” Stiles asked, his heartbeat speeding up.

 

“Thank you.” Derek said looking him in the eye. Stiles grinned and Derek finally let go of Stiles hand and started eating his pizza again.

 

“You’re welcome.” Stiles said settling down and eating more pizza his wrist tingling.

 

**TBC...  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well. *Looking around like a little puppy very happy with that one.* That was such fun!   
> Well, the next part might already be 90% written, and might be up tomorrow, and might involve a flashback and might not have Jasmine in it either.


	6. Tattoos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this is a flashback to before evil bitch-whore Jasmine rocked up. She will be back next chapter which will not be as quick to be up but I’ll try not to make it too long either. I am also feverishly writing the next growl for Five Times and holy Hannah is that chapter huge.

**Part 06 – Tattoos**

 

A few days before Jasmine and her pack appeared on Derek’s doorstep his pack had a meeting without him.

 

“Hey guys,” Stiles said as he came into Jackson’s lounge room and flopped onto the couch.

 

“Female!” Lydia growled.

 

“Guys is a socially acceptable greeting for both genders in social situations where the people being spoken to are friends.” Stiles said as he stuck his tongue out.

 

Lydia chose not to continue with the argument.

 

“I had a thought.” Stiles said with his eyes still closed.

 

“I hope it didn’t hurt.” Jackson said and the others groaned in response to the out-dated joke.

 

“Nah dude, I have them all the time, unlike you.” Stiles sat up to look at them. “I thought about the whole tattoo thing we were discussing the other day and I have worked it out.”

 

“Yeah?” Scott said encouragingly.

 

“Well it’s pretty obvious, Derek is our alpha, and he has a tattoo. Therefore the obvious thing to get, as a pack, is his tattoo.” Stiles finished with a flourish and his best I’m-a-genius face.

 

“That thing is huge, and in the middle of his back. I am not getting that.” Lydia said.

 

“She has a point, but it’s a good idea.” Danny said with a frown.

 

“I was thinking, smaller and we could all get it on a different part of our body. Where we wanted it. I was thinking I’d get mine on my wrist.” Stiles said holding up his left wrist. “Where I wear my watch so it’s not always visible. Now there is more to it, in a couple of the books I’ve read they talk about the mark of a pack, I was curious so I did some more research and it seems it is a very old tradition, I’m not even sure if any packs still practice it but since some of them keep humans as slaves I don’t see why they wouldn’t still do this. Anyway, it was a mark worn by the whole pack, originally it would have been a tribal tattoo that was given to members of a clan with special abilities and it marked them out as being whatever type of creature they were. That changed as communal living stopped being as common then it would have been a mark worn for both protection and identification. The tattoo was still the preferred method of mark but as society changed and women’s place in it was altered there was a necessity for the mark to be displayed as jewellery or a mark woven into clothes, which from what I can tell was big with men too as they would often have the tattoos where it was not polite to be displayed. These marks showed other packs who this person belonged to or with and was used as a secret way to identify people who could be trusted. So I thought, was thinking…I mean I don’t know what Derek’s family’s mark was. Or if they had one but since we were talking about all getting something I thought maybe this would be the way to go and since we are all following Derek his tattoo would be the way to go. I cannot find a definitive answer on what his tattoo means but from the codes I have seen it doesn’t seem to be like the spiral and mean vengeance or something equally bad. I think it is special to him and I thought maybe we could give ourselves and our pack a mark. What do you think?” Stiles looked around at his pack nervously, it might be a stupid idea, it just seemed like this would be yet another reminder to Derek he had lost his other family but he had a new one now.

 

“Shoulder.” Danny agreed with a grin.

 

“Arm.” Scott and Jackson said at the same time.

 

“Left.” Stiles said pointing to Jackson and, “right,” pointing at Scott.

 

They both thought about it for a moment and then nodded.

 

All four of the male pack mates turned as one to look at Lydia.

 

“Oh I suppose.” She sighed.

 

“I’ve booked us in for Friday.” Stiles grinned.

 

Danny grinned at him while Jackson and Scott glared for a moment; there was a part of them that did not appreciate being ordered around. But it was Stiles telling them what to do so they both shrugged.

 

“Where are you going to get it?” Jackson asked Lydia since everything else was sorted.

 

“I’m thinking about it.”

 

“Are we going to tell Derek?” Jackson asked.

 

“No.” Stiles said feeling relieved that they liked the idea but looking at Jackson like he was an idiot. “It can be a surprise on Friday. We are supposed to go over for dinner so we can do the big reveal and the three of you should be able to completely show off your tattoos. Mine will still be healing.”

 

On the Friday they all meet a town over from Beacon Hills, since their home town had no tattoo parlour.

 

The window of the tattoo parlour was covered in photos of people proudly displaying work done here and Stiles wondered if this was the best idea, he didn’t like pain and unlike the four werewolves with him he was not going to heal within the hour, he was actually going to have to deal with the pain and the healing and site care and the possibility of infection. Stiles was the first through the door anyway because this was about the pack and he could deal with a little pain.

 

“Hello,” the heavily tattoo woman at the front counter said with a smile.

 

“Hi.” Stiles said trying very hard not to look at the dragon disappearing into the woman’s cleavage; he’d love to know where it went and what that looked like. “We have an appointment.”

 

“Stiles?”

 

“Yes, hi, umm for five people.” Stiles indicated the pack behind him.

 

“Okay cutie, who’s first?”

 

“I am.” Stiles said blushing at the endearment.

 

“Come this way, the rest of you can have a seat my other artist is on break but he’ll come get one of you soon.”

 

The woman led Stiles behind a hunter green curtain and told him to sit down. “Where are you having it?”

 

“My wrist.” Stiles said turning his hand over and looking at the blue vein under the skin.

 

“Okay, it’ll hurt there but there is no risk, the needles don’t go too deep.”

 

“I’m not worried.” Stiles defended.

 

“Yes you are cutie but don’t worry I’ll take good care of you.”

 

Jackson laughed from the other side of the curtain. “Shut up Jackson.” Stiles called out.

 

“Sorry cutie.” Jackson called back. Moments later there was the echo of a slap and Stiles grinned up at the tattoo artist as she started fiddling with things and ran him through the process and the sterilisation procedure before he signed the necessary documents and they could start.

 

“What are we inking today?”

 

“Oh, right we have a photo.” Lydia appear at the edge of the curtain and handed him the photo surreptitiously taken on one of the many instances in the last few days when Derek had been shirtless, it was pathetically easy to obtain.

 

“All of you getting the same thing?” The woman asked.

 

“Yes.” Stiles said. “But we only brought the one photo.”

 

“That’s okay. Who is this?”

 

“Derek, our friend.”

 

“And you are all getting his tattoo? Did he die or are you in a cult or gang sweetie?”

 

“Oh no, he’s alive. It’s…” Stiles stared at the woman blankly he could normally lie better than this.

 

“It’s okay cutie, don’t tell me. Now how big do you want this to be?”

 

Stiles drew a circle on the tender skin inside of his wrist showing how big he wanted it and she moved over, washed her hands, swiped his wrist with an alcohol rub and grabbed a pen to mark the tattoo out on his skin while she hummed to herself.

 

“This what you want cutie?” The woman asked when she was done.

 

Stiles stared at the outline on his wrist for a few moments then up at the woman in front of him with a big grin. “Yeah, that’s perfect.”

 

“This Derek must be one hell of a guy.” She said with a smile causing Stiles to flush. “Alright, let’s get started.”

 

The first few pricks of the needle felt weird, painful but not as bad as he was expecting but Stiles couldn’t take his eyes off the needle as the ink was forced into his skin creating a tattoo. He heard someone walk out the front and grab Scott sitting him on the other chair in the back room, he was about to close the partition between when Scott told him not to worry. Stiles looked up at him and smiled.

 

“Does it hurt?” Scott asked as the man was drawing in the stencil.

 

“Not really, it’s like…something I just don’t know what. You’ll be fine.” Stiles said with a smile flicking his eyes up to Scott.

 

“You will be fine.” Allison threw in from out the front.

 

“Of course I will. I was just curious.” Scott said puffing his chest out.

 

Jackson laughed and Stiles heard the unmistakable smack of Allison clipping him around the ear.

 

“He gets hit a lot.” The artist working on his wrist said.

 

“It’s good for him, keeps his ego manageable, I’m sorry I have forgotten your name.”

 

The woman smiled at him. “Happens all the time, it’s Jasmine.”

 

“That’s a nice name.”

 

“Disney princess,” she said with a quick grin.

 

“That explains the taffeta.”

 

The woman laughed as she sat down ready for the next stage of his tattoo. “No making me laugh cutie, at least not while I have the needle.”

 

“Deal.” Stiles grinned.

 

He watched as Jasmine did more work to his wrist. Before long she was finished and bandaged him up after thoroughly disinfecting the area again. “You can go cutie. Send me the one who keeps getting slapped.”

 

“Thank you Jasmine.” Stiles said walking out and sending Jackson in.

 

Allison and Lydia both looked at his wrist through the clear covering. “That looks good Stiles, you’ll have to come in when they draw mine I don’t want it any bigger than that.”

 

“Allison have you decided?” Stiles asked as quietly as he could.

 

“Yes, no not now. Maybe one day but not today.”

 

“I think that’s a good idea.” Stiles said curling his other arm around her shoulders.

 

“I know where I’d get it though; I was in the shopping centre the other day and this woman in front of me had one right here.” She turned and lifted her hair smoothing her fingers over the middle of the back of her neck just where her hair stopped. “When…if I get it it will be there.”

 

Not long after Scott came out still shirtless and not bothered, Stiles needed to have that talk about modesty with his pack mates again. Danny went back behind the curtain and Scott did some flexing of his arm until Allison giggled and curled into his side to whisper private things in his ear.

 

“So this is something packs used to do.” Lydia said quietly into Stiles’ ear.

 

“Yeah, it was a way to distinguish the different packs but also a sign of loyalty. From what I read you had to reach a certain age or pass a certain trial if you were a born wolf like Derek but if you were bitten the mark was given when you swore loyalty to the alpha.”

 

“Then why didn’t Derek mention anything?” Lydia asked puzzled.

 

“I don’t think he wanted to use his family’s mark. With everything that…you know.”

 

“But, wouldn’t he still want us to have one?”

 

“I don’t know if his family even had one, I don’t know if he is even going to think this is a good idea.” Stiles said chewing on his thumb but looking at the myriad of tattoo pictures on the window.

 

“I’m sure he will love it.” Lydia said with a smile just as she was called up Jackson coming and sitting next to Scott showing off his tattoo.

 

“Scott told me you started in three games this last block.” Stiles said once Jackson had stopped flexing.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Congratulations.” Stiles said. “Next game you start let us know and I’ll come watch, I’m sure Derek will too.”

 

“It’s not important you don’t have to do that.” Jackson said. “I’m just starting; last game I only played the first part.”

 

“It is important. So either you call or Danny or Scott will.”

 

“Okay Stiles.” Jackson said with a grin just as Lydia called Stiles to come behind the curtain and make sure her tattoo was right. By the time he’d convinced Lydia it was all okay Danny was finished and Jasmine waved him into the other chair to watch.

 

When Jasmine was finished with Lydia’s tattoo they went out and paid. “You going to come back and get more tattoos cutie?” Jasmine asked as she accepted his money.

 

“I don’t know, I figure I’ll live with this one for a while and see if I become addicted.”

 

“I would be offended if you went to anyone else.”

 

“Trust me Jasmine if I ever get another tattoo I will only come and see a Disney princess.”

 

Jasmine beamed at him displaying a very prominent dimple in her left cheek and Stiles returned the grin before turning around and facing his pack.

 

“Okay, you three.” Stiles said waving his arm at Danny, Jackson and Scott. “Put your bloody shirts on before we leave.”

 

“Oh cutie,” Jasmine said standing at the counter looking up at him with a sweet smile. “Why didn’t you get yours somewhere I had to take you shirt off?”

 

Stiles flushed red. “I don’t get shirtless at the drop of a leaf like these three.”

 

“Pity…you should.” She gave him a wink and laughed as he stumbled out of the door being dragged by Lydia.

 

“Thanks, bye.” He called out as the door closed and he turned to face his pack. “What?”

 

“Nice flirting in there dude.” Jackson said. “Why not ask for her number?”

 

“Oh, well…it was just…flirting? Customer flirting, nothing more.” Stiles stammered as they began walking to the car. “She was pretty though.”

 

“She was fucking hot; I might go back and ask for her number.” Jackson said before Danny grabbed his shoulder and kept him moving towards the car.

 

“She referred to you as the one who keeps getting slapped Jackson she wasn’t interested.” Danny explained.

 

“I’d let her slap me around a little.” Jackson said with a sly grin.

 

“Boys!” Lydia said in exasperation.

 

“Was she flirting with me?” Stiles whispered in the general direction of Lydia’s ear.

 

“Yes she was.” Lydia said. “Do you want to go back?”

 

“No, but that is pretty awesome. I wouldn’t mind seeing the rest of her dragon tattoo though.” Stiles said just a little bit proud of the fact he got flirted with rather than his three muscle bound friends.

 

“That was incredibly hot.” Jackson agreed.

 

Lydia slapped Jackson and Stiles both on the arm with a sigh.

 

Scott pulled the plastic covering from over his tattoo. “Mine’s healed.”

 

“Mine too.” Jackson said pulling his protective covering off.

 

Danny followed their example Lydia ignored them and left the covering on.

 

“I hate all of you.” Stiles said with a glare his wrist still hurting, more so now than when the actual tattoo was being inked.

 

“It’s okay; we’ll all fuss over you until yours heals cutie.” Lydia said curling her arm into his as they walked back to the car.

 

“So are we going straight to Derek’s?” Scott asked when everyone had piled into Danny’s car.

 

“We were supposed to go for dinner anyway, might as well.” Stiles said the excitement of showing Derek sinking into his stomach.

 

“We need to stop for food.” Allison said. “I’m starving from watching you all get inked.”

 

“Yes, food would be excellent.” Stiles agreed as they piled into Danny’s car and drove away.

 

**TBC...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I named the tattoo artist deliberately because that happens to me – generally in class but still. Hopefully it didn’t piss anyone off.


	7. Returning To The Pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story just grew and grew and it keeps making itself bigger. There might be something wrong with me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Jasmine is BA-A-ACK!

**Part 07 – Returning To The Pack**

 

Stiles went to Derek’s house the morning after Derek plied him with pizza and saw the tattoo. Derek had told him his guests were going out for the day since he was going to have a pack meeting. They were so rarely all together in the same town now that whenever they could they had a meeting so that they could catch up in person, draw strength and calmness from their closeness. This visit home had been different to most; the presence of Derek’s old friends had made everything quite awkward. Normally they spent as much time at Derek’s house as they could, any time that wasn’t demanded by their parents or other things. This time though, since Jasmine’s arrival at least, they had been apart more than they had been together.

 

Stiles opened the door with his key and slipped into the house. “Derek?” he called out as he walked back towards the kitchen.

 

“He’s not here.” Jasmine said walking out of the lounge room; she was wearing a tiny little sundress, completely inappropriate for the weather outside.

 

“Okay, well I’ll just go wait in the kitchen then.” Stiles said walking past her and into the kitchen.

 

Jasmine followed him pouring herself another cup of coffee, the last in the pot. Stiles pulled the mug he’d been reaching for from the cupboard and sighed. He moved over to the cupboard with the coffee and set another pot, Lydia would need at least two when she got here before she would be nice to anyone.

 

“You know you’re way around this kitchen well don’t you?”

 

“Yeah, well Derek isn’t a good cook, none of the pack are and I am hesitant to die of food poisoning.”

 

“So you do all the cooking?” Jasmine was leaning casually against the counter staring at Stiles but there was something in the way she was looking at him that made Stiles uncomfortable.

 

“Most of it yes.”

 

“Do you clean as well?”

 

“Sometimes.” Stiles said.

 

“So Derek was lying, he got himself a little omega but he’s pretending that you are an actual member of the pack.”

 

Stiles smiled. “Yes, I suppose he did.”

 

“Well then you can clean up the breakfast dishes can’t you.” Jasmine said dropping her mug into the sink and turning from the room.

 

Stiles looked at the dishes and left the kitchen heading out the back door instead. Stupid woman. Derek had the absolute worst taste in women; Kate who’d be psychopathic and Jasmine who was just…mean. Stiles knew he wasn’t the omega, Derek didn’t believe in them and he’d proven that a long time ago when Mr Wolfram had come to visit but that did not mean Stiles particularly enjoyed the woman’s constant implications even if she was wrong.

 

Stiles walked further out under Derek’s patio, past the barbeque and table and chairs until he had walked out of the area completely and reached the centre of the clearing behind Derek’s house, just before the trees started. There was a cement ring for camp fires and a number of stumps all pressed firmly into the ground for them to sit on. It had been a suggestion of Jackson’s something he used to do when he was little and his dad took him camping, the next day when they arrived Derek took the other man out the back and showed him the area, the cement ring in place before handing him an axe and sending him off to cut down a suitable tree. The rest of the pack had been inside painting the upstairs bedrooms and watching. Lydia had told him what the two werewolves were saying. Stiles dropped down onto the log and propped his feet on the concrete ring in front of him looking out at the woods that seemed to stretch on forever. Stiles loved Derek’s house, if it were up to him he’d build a little cottage in the woods…really who was he kidding if it were up to him he’d drag Derek up to his bedroom lock the door and spend a week learning the alpha’s body but it wasn’t up to him and the woman inside was yet another reminder of why not, Derek liked women and Stiles needed to stop hoping that would change.

 

Stiles heard a car door slam after a while, probably Derek since Stiles had been early. With a sigh Stiles stood up and headed back into the house. When he came in through the back door he found Derek putting things away in the fridge.

 

“Morning Stiles.” Derek said without pulling his head from the task.

 

“Hey.” Stiles got himself a cup of coffee. “Coffee?”

 

“No, I’m going to have some green tea,” Derek replied. “I realised when I woke up this morning that the errand I was supposed to run yesterday didn’t happen since we were watching TV instead.”

 

“Needed to stock up for the merry bang of growing werewolves?”

 

“They aren’t growing.” Derek grumbled.

 

“No, but they eat like they do.” Stiles laughed grabbing a mug and tea bag for Derek.

 

“I’ll do that.” Derek said throwing some bread at Stiles. “I figure you didn’t eat breakfast.”

 

“It’s all good. No I didn’t.”

 

“You never do.”

 

“I do eat breakfast,” Stiles defended.

 

“When I force you to sit down and eat or throw it at you as you run from the apartment.”

 

“See, I eat.” Stiles chuckled putting the toast in. “Want any?”

 

“Yes please. I was trying to get back before you got here.”

 

“Why?” Stiles swapped spots with Derek to grab what he needed from the fridge while Derek made his cup of tea.

 

Just as Stiles had buttered a piece of toast Lydia appeared next to him and stole it and his cup of coffee before throwing herself at the kitchen table with a groan.

 

“Up late chatting with Logan again?” Stiles prodded.

 

“No…maybe.” Lydia said drinking Stiles’ coffee before holding the cup out with a plaintive moan.

 

Stiles laughed at her and got her a cup of coffee to a grateful smile.

 

“The words you are looking for are please and thank you Lydia.” Derek reminded filling the sink to wash the dishes.

 

Lydia nodded slowly before Stiles placed more toast in front of her. She grabbed his upper arm and pulled him down pressing a kiss to his cheek before smiling and letting him go.

 

Stiles smiled at Derek and put on more toast.

 

“Good morning Lydia, Stiles.” Jasmine said as she swept into the room a moment later. “Stiles I thought we’d see you again at training, I hear you are normally very helpful.”

 

Stiles stared at Jasmine for a moment blinking; he looked to Lydia as Jasmine walked over to Derek and offered to help do the dishes while John and Monica finished getting ready.

 

“Morning Jasmine.” Lydia and Stiles finally said after a silent and confusing non-verbal conversation.

 

Stiles went back over to finish making toast and got himself another cup of coffee before taking a seat next to Lydia so he could watch Derek and Jasmine doing the dishes. Lydia shrugged at him again and finished her cup of coffee eying Stiles’ as he pulled it closer and glared at her. She sighed and went to get her own.

 

Jasmine and Derek stood side by side washing the dishes chatting about Laura and New York and their adventures there. Stiles watched Derek rather than listening to what he was actually saying, old friends tended to talk in a way that could not be followed so he ignored it and watched the emotions dancing around Derek’s face, it had taken him a long time to be able to see what Derek was feeling under his constant scowl and glare. He’d joked to Lydia once that the man was only fluent in the language of VIOLENCE but he’d been wrong, Derek tended to threaten to get what he wanted because he hadn’t known that he could just ask. Hadn’t had the chance to just ask in years. Eventually he’d realised, he’d tried and leaned how to talk to his pack with only the occasional threat, still oddly enough directed mainly at Stiles.

 

Stiles thought about the promise he had extracted from the pack which meant they couldn’t talk about Jasmine, he’d been rethinking it this morning when Jasmine had been talking to him but now watching the quiet joy on Derek’s face talking about Laura and something to do with ice skating and the flash of a smile that lingered when Jasmine commented on Laura and her tendency to hug people for no reason. Stiles knew he’d made the right decision, for as long as Jasmine was here he was going to be nice to her and ignore anything she said to him. Hopefully it would just be the week because if this morning was any indication of how the rest of the week would go she was going to be a two-faced bitch but he could put up with her and give Derek this.

 

Jasmine and Derek finished the dishes and Jasmine smiled up at him.

 

“I should go; surely John and Monica will be ready by now.” Jasmine said sweeping from the room.

 

Moments later the three visiting werewolves appeared in the kitchen doorway.

 

“We’re off Derek; let us know if you want us to stay out for dinner.” John said with a grin.

 

“We should be done by then.” Derek said turning to Stiles and raising an eyebrow waiting for his minute nod. “Come back for dinner, we’ll all eat together.”

 

“Sounds lovely,” Monica said. “See you all later.”

 

“Yes,” Jasmine smiled. “I look forward to tasting Stiles amazing cooking, everyone keeps bragging about it. Well best be off. Bye.”

 

Jasmine turned and left the room followed by John and Monica.

 

“I was thinking Chinese.” Derek said to the empty doorway.

 

“Szechuan Beef.” Stiles said with a grin ignoring the look on Lydia’s face.

 

“I suppose.” Derek said. “We’ll sort that all out later.”

 

“No, I want Szechuan beef.” Stiles said again.

 

“Then you shall have it.” Derek said just as the front door was thrown open again and with loud voices Scott, Jackson and Danny arrived coming into the kitchen and going straight for the fridge. Derek watched as they found things to eat and then settled at the table with Stiles and Lydia. Jackson pressed his shoulder into Stiles’ as he grinned around the peach in his mouth.

 

“Do none of you eat before you come to my house?” Derek asked.

 

“I ate breakfast.” Scott muttered around his mouthful of cheese, he threw in a piece of ham before continuing. “But I’m growing boy and have a werewolf metabolism,” Scott finished the thought with a shrug.

 

“Your mum needs to stop telling you that,” Stiles said finishing his toast and pushing the plate forward. “It’s a lie and she’s a nurse who knows better.”

 

Scott grinned at him.

 

“I ate.” Lydia piped up the caffeine running around in her system enough now that she could speak without trying to beat one of them over the head with a chair.

 

Stiles took a sip of coffee and held his tongue over the three cups of coffee she’d had since she came in and the next one she looked to be going to get as soon as Derek moved away from the pot. He took pity on her and stood getting them both another cup and throwing some toast in for Derek since he seemed to have forgotten he too hadn’t eaten.

 

“See, Stiles is eating too. Did you tell him off?” Jackson asked with a pout.

 

“Actually that’s for Derek.” Stiles said when he sat down next to Jackson and offered his plate for the peach pit.

 

Danny’s cough sounded a lot like ‘suck up’.

 

“I love you.” Lydia professed after her first mouthful of new coffee.

 

“Love you too Lydia.” Stiles chuckled watching Derek watch his pack. “Derek, stop pouting, you buy the food they eat so it’s really your own fault. If you had no food they wouldn’t come expecting to eat.”

 

Derek glared at Stiles for a few long minutes. “There is a flaw to your logic. I buy food so that _I_ can eat.”

 

“You don’t like peaches.”

 

Derek turned his back on the pack and made his toast grinning through his annoyance because as per usual Stiles was right. Derek brought his own plate and mug to the table and kicked Scott’s legs off his chair.

 

“How was training yesterday?” Stiles asked.

 

Everyone turned and looked at Lydia.

 

“Lydia kicked arse.” Scott said with a broad grin.

 

“She beat everyone…except Jasmine but she would have if Derek hadn’t have stopped the fight.” Jackson added.

 

“Even you?” Stiles asked.

 

“It’s doesn’t count for the board downstairs.” Jackson said. “You weren’t here so you couldn’t award points properly.”

 

“Well done Lydia. You’re right; it doesn’t count towards the board, next time though it will.” Stiles said knocking his shoulder into Jackson’s again.

 

“She tore my chest open in the second fight, evil bitch.” Danny complained and was rewarded with a broad, evil grin from Lydia and a sympathetic one from Stiles.

 

“I beat Jackson too.” Scott bragged. “In fact it was a three-way fight so it’s even better.”

 

“Well done.” Stiles said with a grin even though Scott had called him the previous night to tell him about it.

 

“Just before Lydia knockied him out with a single blow.” Jackson added with a glare.

 

“Just like Muhammad Ali.” Lydia smirked lifting her fists up.

 

“Sounds excellent, sorry I missed it.”

 

“We missed you too.” Danny threw in as all the other wolves nodded.

 

“Okay, everyone finished eating me out of house and home, clean the table then everyone needs to be in the lounge room. Where is Allison?” Derek ordered before turning to Scott.

 

“Late, her dad wanted to see her.” Scott explained.

 

“Okay, we’ll start without her, who knows how long he’ll keep her if he knows where she is going.” Derek said putting his plate in the sink and watching the rest of the wolves throwing their rubbish away why Lydia wiped the table off. Derek left them to it and headed into the lounge room Stiles walking behind him.

 

“It sounds like a good training session, why didn’t you say anything about it last night. You must be proud of them.” Stiles said kicking off his shoes and sitting on the couch legs crossed and arms thrown back along the cushions.

 

“Course I’m proud of them, they fought very well.”

 

“Thanks Derek,” Jackson said from the doorway where all of the betas were standing with happy smiles on their faces.

 

Stiles chuckled and wriggled around on the spot refusing to meet Derek’s eye.

 

“Alright,” Derek said when everyone was sitting. “Show them to me.”

 

“What?” Danny asked confused.

 

“When Derek came to see me last night he saw my tattoo.” Stiles explained going a little red in the cheeks.

 

“And you were worried we were going to be the ones to reveal it because it was supposed to be something we all did together and you just stole our thunder.” Danny said with a pout pulling his shirt off and turning so Derek could see the fist sized tattoo on his shoulder blade.

 

“Such a terrible example you are setting for us.” Jackson added pulling his shirt off and showing Derek his left arm with a similar sized tattoo was visible.

 

“And to think we all thought you were this bastion of rightness and you could be trusted to keep your word.” Scott said taking his top off and showing Derek is right arm.

 

Stiles threw a cushion at each of the wolf’s heads when they were looking at Derek. “You total dickheads.”

 

All three of them turned huge grins on Stiles who rolled his eyes.

 

“Yes, very silly all of you.” Lydia said before dropping her pants and turning to show Derek her lower back. Stiles laughed at the stunned looks on both Scott and Jackson’s face probably because the tiny purple underwear Lydia was wearing had three lines of ruffles over her backside.  

 

“Lydia pull your pants up.” Jackson demanded moving over to try and help her.

 

“Jackson, you only ever took them off, let go.” Lydia said stepping away and pulling her jeans back up winking at Stiles who grinned back at her.

 

“I cannot believe you did that…actually I really can.” Stiles said pulling Lydia onto the couch next to him.

 

“It’s fun to watch Jackson’s eyes detach from his head.” Lydia said with a smile.

 

The front door opened and someone breezed in, Allison had said she’d be late but the woman standing in the open entryway was Jasmine looking at Jackson, Scott and Danny’s shirtless bodies with confusion until she saw the mark on them.

 

“That’s your tattoo.” Jasmine said pointing to the three men, as they pulled their tops back on, but looking at Derek.

 

“Pack mark.” Derek said with undisguised happiness.

 

“You have a pack mark?” Jasmine asked with confusion. “Laura never had one.”

 

“It’s new, just since Friday.” Stiles said. Jasmine didn’t look at him, her eyes still trained on Derek.

 

“Stiles’ idea.” Lydia said.

 

“Stiles?” Jasmine said finally turning her eyes onto the younger man.

 

Stiles held up his wrist. “I read about it in one of the old werewolf texts Derek gave me.”

 

“That’s great Derek.” Jasmine said as she took a step back. “I forgot my sweater. I won’t interrupt.”

 

Jasmine disappeared and with a wave as she passed the door again she left.

**TBC...**


	8. Being Pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really haven’t been feeling very good of late and haven’t been able to write but then this finally came to me. Stuff is starting to get busy so please don’t expect the updates to be going very quickly for a while. There is more left of this story than I thought though so we aren’t going to be done for a little bit. I hope you guys enjoy.

**Part 08 – Being Pack**

The pack watched Jasmine leave the house and Lydia wrapped her hand around Stiles' knee. He raised his eyebrow at her but she just took her hand away with a shake of her head.

"You know, I understand you are all insanely proud of your werewolf-y bodies and all but you don't need to take your clothes off all the time." Stiles said with a smile.

"Jealous?" Jackson asked flexing his arms.

"Not really." Stiles said.

"You have no reason to be, no reason at all." Lydia giggled next to him.

"What?" Stiles asked turning to stare at her.

"Nothing." Derek and Stiles were both glaring at Lydia. "Seriously, you can't hide the fact you are lovely. Even if you do refuse to let us see it."

"I don't believe you." Stiles said watching her closely.

"It's true. Anyone could see you have a very nice body under your clothes."

"It's true." Allison said from the doorway.

"Allison, you're here. Early too," Scott said walking over to her and curling an arm around her shoulders dragging her further into the room. "Wait, you've thought about Stiles naked?"

Allison and Lydia shrugged with a grin.

"Now if only someone would answer about me being attractive to gay guys." Stiles opened his eyes wide and looked at Danny imploringly.

"I've answered that question already you insanely needy compliment whore." Danny said.

"Just say it Danny." Stiles asked again.

"Fine!" Danny threw his hands up and settled onto the other couch. "You're hot."

Stiles grinned. "I know."

"Tool." Danny muttered.

"If you are all finished." Derek said, "I would like to get to the actual pack meeting we are here for."

"Sorry Derek." Danny said smirking at Stiles. Stiles lifted his eyebrows to ask Danny what he meant but Danny just widened his smirk and turned to Jackson.

"Right." Derek said. "Danny how are you going with everything?"

Danny looked around the pack and chose to watch Stiles as he spoke. "Good, had trouble with holding off the shift last full moon but Jackson and Scott helped me through."

"What caused the trouble?" Stiles asked quietly.

"Anger."

"Why?" Stiles continued he knew Derek knew the story, most of them did but these meetings were for talking to the pack as a whole. Jackson had called Derek during the last full moon and he'd driven off to sort it out, Stiles hadn't been able to leave since his class was doing rotating oral presentations and he couldn't guarantee being back in time. It had taken Derek three days to get back to Berkley and Danny had been reluctant to talk about it but that was what these meetings were all about, they were a completely safe place to talk about anything and everything.

"I just found out Nathan was cheating on me that afternoon."

None of the pack moved to Danny they all wanted to comfort but this was not about Danny's heartbreak it was about the werewolf, the change and since Danny was only just six months on from the bite this needed to be about that. Later they could all sit with him and wallow in his pain like they all had when they had first found out about Nathan and his arsehole ways.

"Jackson." Derek said shifting the focus away from Danny while he got his thoughts together.

"We ran through all of the mediation stuff you'd talked about but as the moon came up completely Danny's anger increased and he couldn't control it." Jackson said succinctly pressing his hip and arm into Danny's side.

"Scott?" Derek prompted next.

"We had to restrain him; the first night was the worst. It was a lot like my first full moon. I remember the jealousy growing and I think that helped me talk to him."

"Danny." Derek came back to Danny, he was ready Derek could feel it in the way Danny was watching Scott speak instead of just looking and his hands and listening like he did with Jackson. Danny caught Derek's eye for a moment and nodded before he told his story.

"I felt off all that day, like normal, the struggle to keep from following all those instincts that you know you shouldn't listen to. Nothing felt wrong. I wasn't going to see Nathan because of what day it was but I had to go and get a textbook. One of his roommates let me in. I saw them and I wanted blood, I could taste it, I could smell it, I could see it pumping through his veins. I wanted to open them both up and cause them pain. I was able to stop myself but it was hard, the hardest thing I've had to do since I struggled through my first full moon. I called Jackson and he met me halfway, got me home. I knew I couldn't run. Not that night so we decided to hole up in the basement. As it got later I started seeing them. More than I had, more than I wanted to. I could feel it in my bones and in the blood in my veins, the need desperate and overpowering to run and hurt and kill. I wanted to sneak out but Scott was watching me closely and I couldn't. That's when Jackson called you I think. The change came over me and nothing would let me go back. I couldn't shift and they tried to help but nothing did. Scott told me about his first full moon when he had hunted Jackson and most of what he described was how I felt but I still wanted out. I wanted to cause Nathan as much pain as he caused me. I remember Jackson sitting on me and making me breathe with his heartbeat, it kept me grounded for a while. I know they had the tranquilisers and would have taken me out between them. I stayed on that ledge, I didn't push I think because I knew they were stronger. I felt like I was following their breathing and I didn't feel that until they were pressed close. Eventually my breathing matched Jackson's but I couldn't shift back, I was still stuck. I didn't know where to go from there. Finally, Derek got there and I felt like a band that was holding me together the whole night was gone. I still wanted to go and hurt Nathan; make him feel what I had felt but it wasn't the same as before. It felt more like how I wanted to hurt him a week later when I saw them both at a café sitting together and acting as though they hadn't cheated their way to happiness. More than it hurts now but less than that night."

Danny stopped and everyone simply sat for a while. Moments later when Danny was calm and collected again Stiles stood and moved towards him crowding Danny closer into Jackson's side. As Stiles squashed Danny between himself and Jackson Lydia came over and settled down on their legs her arms curling around Danny's neck. Scott's hands pressed down on Danny's shoulders and Danny took a few huge body quaking breaths. He rested his head to the side so his forehead was pressed into Jackson's and Derek came over pressing his hand to the top of Danny's head. Danny smiled at the feeling of closeness and they all stayed where they were just curled up together.

Allison hung back, her hand resting on Danny's where it rested on Jackson's knee but she still wasn't comfortable with the way the pack held one another and pressed close whenever they were next to one another. The pack touched for everything, Derek was the least tactile person in the group – he never initiated contact but provided it whenever it was needed. The betas and Stiles spent most of their time together pressed close, sharing the same chair on just using one another as a seat. Holding arms and hands, arms thrown over shoulders or wrapped around waists in public so they were still close. They spent their time together really together in a way that still made Allison somewhat uncomfortable and left Derek sitting back for reasons Stiles could not work out.

Time passed but none of them keep track and eventually they started moving away from Danny. Even when Danny would have been able to move away he still stayed pressed close to Jackson's side as everyone else moved back to their spots, Stiles settling back on the other end of Derek's couch before Lydia came over and shoved him closer to Derek so she could curl herself up against the arm of the chair before dragging Stiles' arm over her shoulders.

The meeting from there went more like they normally did, lighter topics, they always dealt with big things first and then turned their attention to just catching everyone up on what was going on in their lives. They started talking about what was happening at university.

/ * / * /

Lydia started. "My professor is Applied Mathematics wants me to apply for a summer internship at MIT."

"I've always wanted to go to Massachusetts," Stiles grinned hugging Lydia closer from where she was pressed into his side.

Lydia smiled. "Derek, it's a great opportunity but I know summer is important for the pack. I want to talk to you about it."

"All of summer?" Derek asked.

"Half," Lydia said.

"I'll rent a house; we'll come up for parts of it as we can. Apply; it sounds like a great experience."

Lydia's body relaxed next to Stiles. She didn't need permission but being so far from the pack for the school year was hard and she desperately missed the closeness and feeling of family she had in this room with these people. "I will; I might not get in."

"Bitch please." Stiles said. "You will," he continued whispering in her ear complete confidence in her swelling in his chest next to the pride.

/ * / * /

"I know what I want to do at university now." Scott said his voice hesitant. "Finally."

"Go on." Allison said wrapping her hand around his knee.

Stiles smiled his encouragement when Scott looked to him for support.

"Horticulture. I love plants, always have and I love gardening. I took a couple of units as I could and I think this is the right choice."

Stiles beamed at Scott; even though this wasn't news to him he was so very happy for Scott. Scott had struggled to come up with something he loved to study. Stiles couldn't remember the last time Scott had been this excited about school even the day he had been accepted to USC with a scholarship paled next to the excitement and certainty Stiles had seen in his best friend when he had told him about this decision.

Everyone congratulated Scott happy for him.

/ * / * /

"The guy who attacked Derek hasn't been seen again," Stiles said.

Derek turned on him. "Stiles!" That isn't your…again? You told them?"

"Of course I did." Stiles said with a half-shrug. "You weren't going to."

"I would have told them." Derek said glaring at Stiles.

"When?" Stiles asked turning to Derek more completely. "It happened a month ago."

"When we were all together."

"We were all together two weeks ago for Jackson's birthday."

"It was his birthday."

"The morning after wasn't."

Derek growled at Stiles. "It isn't something they needed to know."

"Derek," Scott said jumping into the argument knowing he shouldn't. "You're our alpha if someone attacks you how are we supposed to help if you don't tell us?"

"It is my job to be the strong. You don't need to help me, I can handle it."

Stiles slid from under Lydia and grabbed onto Derek's forearm. "Just because you are the alpha doesn't mean you have to be infallible Derek, we know you're strong you can ask for help sometimes."

Derek stared at Stiles for a moment, he hated how Stiles managed to see what Derek wasn't saying and never ever let him get away with being anything other than truthful and for one fleeting moment Derek wondered how Stiles had missed the giant Stiles-shaped hole in Derek's heart.

"I don't," Stiles lifted his eyebrow at Derek's words. "Okay so about a month ago some guy rocked up at our door and shot Stiles and I in the face with aconite he'd boiled into water. He used a water pistol. It took me three days to heal."

"Have you seen him since?" Danny asked playing along.

"No, he obviously wanted to know if I was a werewolf but I haven't seen him again and I didn't have time to scent him so I could track him." Derek admitted watching Stiles out of the corner of his eye.

"If we see him again you can sniff him while I make sure he doesn't shoot you." Stiles said with a smile.

"Thanks for telling us Derek." Lydia said.

Derek decided not to respond to what she had to say. "Other than that, everything is good, uni is going well."

"Me too." Stiles said. "Oh Derek, forgot to tell you we are going to Jackson's next lacrosse match."

"Okay." Derek said causing Jackson to grin.

"You don't need to." Jackson said.

"Jackson is starting," Stiles said. "If he had have said something when it was happening we could have come to the first one."

"I went to that game," Lydia said. "He was very athletic."

"I didn't play for long that game." Jackson admitted.

"They brought you back into the game." Scott said. "You got a goal that night."

Jackson smiled. "I did, it was good."

"You should have told us." Derek said. "We would have come."

"It's a long drive for a game of lacrosse." Jackson said.

"Jackson," Stiles said throwing a pillow at Jackson. "We are coming don't make me actually get up to shake you. Lydia will be pissed I made her move. We are coming and that is that."

"Fine." Jackson said throwing the pillow back so Stiles could tuck it back under his neck.

"Good!" Stiles said getting comfortable again. "How are your classes going?"

"I enjoy the some of the courses but others make me want to quit." Jackson said.

"Is the plan still to go into law?" Lydia asked.

"I suppose." Jackson said.

"You should find something that makes you happy Jackson, don't worry so much about what you think your dad wants and worry about what you do."

"Lydia, I really don't want to have this conversation again."

"Okay." Lydia said with a sad smile. "Any girls worth mentioning?"

"You know I don't kiss and tell." Jackson said with a wink. "There have been a few girls."

Danny hid a very subtle 'man-whore' in a loud cough interrupting Jackson. Everyone laughed as Jackson smiled proud of himself.

"Everyone is happy at the end of the night." Jackson said with a grin and a wink.

"Course they are babe," Lydia said. "Can I introduce you to a little movie called 'When Harry Met Sally'?"

Jackson barked out a laugh. "You trying to re-write history Lydia?"

"Oh sweetheart I don't need to re-write it, I just need to remind you."

"I think I might be too young for this conversation." Stiles said with a small smile.

"Don't worry Stiles, I'll keep it clean. Jackson I hope you are having fun and I hope the girls you are entertaining are too."

"Don't you worry they are." Jackson said. "Never had any complaints."

"Have you had much repeat business?"

Jackson laughed. "God I miss you when we're at school."

"You too sweetheart." Lydia smiled.

"So what's happening with Logan?" Jackson asked turning the tables.

"Logan and I are friends." Lydia said her voice sharp.

"Okay." Jackson said holding his hands up.

Stiles nudged Lydia. "Man's a fool."

"We are friends." Lydia said again.

"Of course you are," Derek said. "Leave it alone please guys."

Lydia smiled her appreciation at Derek knowing she had an ally in her alpha in this. The pack nodded changing the subject remembering it for next time they needed Lydia to clam up.

/ * / * /

"I started working at a bakery." Allison said.

"Where?" Lydia asked.

"Just off campus. I basically just serve but the owners; this old Italian couple – actually mainly Mr Bugiardini – has been teaching me stuff when I come in for early morning shifts. That pie I made the other day, I used his recipe for sour cream pastry."

"It was a really good pie." Derek said. "None of the pack got to eat it; they all ran away as soon as training was over."

"Well, it had been a long day." Danny said catching Lydia's eye.

"That was my pie." Lydia said.

"No one technically won the fight." Scott pointed out.

"John and I claimed it in the name of alphas everywhere." Derek said with a quick grin. "It was lovely."

"I made another one and put it in the fridge, berry this time. I put it in there when you were all distracted by the discussion of Stiles and his hotness." Allison said with a grin.

"I love you." Scott and Jackson said in chorus. Scott turned to his pack mate and growled while Allison laughed and punched him in the shoulder.

"I don't want to have sex with her, just want her for her pie." Jackson said kicking Scott's knee lightly.

"I've seen that movie." Lydia said with a smirk causing the rest of the pack to laugh while Jackson blushed.

/ * / * /

When everyone had nothing else to share and were full of lunch they settled down to watch a movie calm and happy after spending time with the family they all chose.

**TBC...**


	9. Dinner With A Side Of Snark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the rampant Harry/Hermione pimping and the fact I spend a lot of time focussed on Jackson being a man-whore and the sex lives of Harry Potter characters it’s just where I was.  
> As most of you know I have been away from fandom for a while, uni had started and so everything will be much slower, feel free to harass me if you think I am taking too long but everything is going to be updated. I have not abandoned it, I don’t think you would let me. Also, things have just been truly horrid in RL so things will be slower.  
> This is steadily heading towards 30K, which is funny because it was SUPPOSED to be a little 2000 word side-story…alas I don’t seem to be able to help myself.  
> The middle is almost a group rant about Harry Potter, I apologise for nothing it amuses me even now.  
>  **This was written a little while ago and I hadn’t finished it, so if it feels rushed or crap I’m sorry. I wanted to put something out because I don’t know when I’ll next be able to write anything. Thank you all so much for still enjoying this and for asking me about it I appreciate it more than I can say.**

**Part 09 – Dinner With A Side Of Snark**

John, Jasmine and Monica returned when the pack had just started the third Harry Potter movie.

Stiles legs were thrown over the back of the couch with Lydia using his stomach as a pillow. Derek was sprawled on the couch on his other side his shoulder pressed into Stiles' knee. Jackson and Danny were spread out on the other couch their shoulders pressed together as they mumbled things to one another, comments about the movie and anything else that came to mind. Scott was lying on the floor using Allison's knee for a pillow from where she was sitting with her back to the couch near Lydia so they could complain about Hermione's teeth and hair and all the things that were different about the movies from the books.

"Does anyone else think this bit is a set up for a porn movie?" Jackson asked.

Lydia threw popcorn at his head. "Only in your head…actually yes it really is. Huh."

"Harry and Hermione or Ron and Hermione." Danny posed to the group.

"Hermione and Ron." Jasmine said firmly announcing their arrival from the doorway.

"Which ones get together in the books?" Derek asked.

"Which do you think should is the question." Danny replied.

Derek thought on it for a moment. "Hermione and Harry. She and Ron have nothing in common."

"Ha!" Stiles said throwing some popcorn into the air and catching it with his teeth. "Told you."

"Just because Derek agreed with you doesn't necessarily make you right Stiles." Allison said.

"Alpha means right." Stiles shrugged.

"That's funny, because you tell me I am wrong a lot." Derek said throwing some popcorn at Stiles who grinned and grabbed it from his chest to throw into his mouth.

"No, in the books it's Ron and Hermione," Jasmine said coming to sit on the large foot stool next to Derek's spot. "They are meant to be together."

"They fight all the time." Stiles said.

"Flirting," Jasmine said. "After all, opposites attract sometimes."

Allison and Lydia started giggling.

"Yes, they are flirting. Flirting through disagreement, the very best kind of display of mutual horniness." Lydia choked out between giggles.

"You were on my side before," Stiles said tugging one of the braids Allison had given Lydia during the second movie.

"Still am sweetheart," Lydia said. "All for the pumpkin pie."

"The what?" Stiles asked.

"Nothing," Lydia said quickly with a slight blush. "John, Monica why don't you sit down?"

"I'm going to go and have a shower before we eat." Monica said with a smile.

"Do you want us to order?" Derek asked.

"Order?" Jasmine said. "I thought we were going to get to experience Stiles' amazing cooking."

"Too many people," Derek responded. "It's not fair to Stiles to ask him to cook for everyone."

"Plus, we get Chinese," Stiles said. "I love Chinese."

"You don't need to order yet. We just walked a lot today and I want to have a shower. I'm happy to wait," Monica said before leaving the doorway.

"This is my favourite one of the movies," John said sliding onto the last remaining couch.

"Popcorn?" Danny offered over Jackson's legs.

"Thanks."

"I always thought Ralph Fiennes would have been excellent as Lupin," Jackson said.

"He's Voldemort," Lydia replied.

"Well duh," Jackson said throwing some popcorn at her. "Before he became Voldemort obviously."

"I always kind of thought Lupin would be hotter," Stiles said.

"Me too," Allison agreed enthusiastically. "Like he was the hot teacher at the school; like Mr Harris."

"You thought Mr Harris was hot?" Jackson asked.

"He was," Danny agreed.

"Is it the werewolf thing?" John asked.

Allison, Lydia and Stiles started laughing having never thought of it that way. "He is a werewolf!" Stiles gasped out. "That's hilarious."

"Why?" Derek asked.

"He's a werewolf," Allison said as though that explained everything.

"I never thought about the fact he's a werewolf," Lydia threw in.

Derek looked at Stiles with a raised eyebrow.

"Turns out they were hot for werewolves before they even knew they were real," Stiles explained with a smile before hugging Lydia's giggling body closer.

"He's a werewolf," Lydia giggled out again.

Derek just looked at Stiles confused for a moment before shrugging.

"Do you think Dumbledore ever had sex with Professor McGonagall?" Jackson asked in a faraway voice.

"Dumbledore is gay," Jasmine told him.

"Really?" Jackson asked popping up to stare at Jasmine.

"Yeah," she said. "JK Rowling said he was."

"I think he had a sordid affair with Grindelwald. Then he had to kill him," Danny threw in.

"Okay, so who is Professor McGonagall having sex with then?" Jackson asked.

"Maybe no one," John threw out.

"Wearing all that tartan, no way, you just know she's a freak in the bedroom," Jackson said.

"I think you might need to have your glands tested Jackson," Danny said punching his friend on the shoulder.

"Nothing wrong with a voracious sexual appetite," Jackson said. "You all need to get over your jealousy."

"High sex drives are normal for werewolves," Jasmine said. "Right Derek?"

The room turned deadly silent and all eyes turned to Derek who stared at Jasmine his mouth hanging a little open. "Umm…" Derek turned his eyes to Stiles who just smiled up at him. "Jackson does have a very high sex drive, some might say man-whore," Derek said hedging which caused the room to erupt in laughter and the attention to return to the movie and off of Derek.

After the movie ended Derek decided it was time for dinner. "Stiles come and help me order?"

"Sure," Stiles said waiting for Lydia to lift her head before he tumbled himself off of the chair causing him to land heavily on the floor. He bounced back up to his feet ignoring Scott's chuckle but delivering a kick to his calf as he left the room trailing behind Derek.

Derek and Stiles were in the kitchen for all of a minute, just long enough for Derek to hunt down the menu while Stiles found a piece of paper and wrote Szechuan Beef at the top with a firm line underneath in emphasis, before Jasmine came in after them.

"Oh I loathe Szechuan Beef." Jasmine said looking over Stiles' shoulder.

"Stiles loves it and of course you don't need to eat it." Derek said with a smile.

"We'll need about four things of rice." Stiles said thinking of the group in the lounge room. "Are you sure, we could throw something on the barbeque this is going to be insanely expensive."

"Ehh." Derek said. "I don't want to cook."

"Lazy sod," Stiles grinned writing down Scott and Lydia's favourite dish.

"Should you just be adding dishes?" Jasmine asked sitting next to Stiles forcing Derek to sit across from him.

"I know what everyone likes," Stiles shrugged and added Danny's favourite dish.

"But Derek doesn't?" Jasmine asked looking up at Derek from under her lashes.

"He always mixes up the dishes from Thai and Chinese. Derek, do you want the pork or chicken?"

Derek fiddled with his earlobe for a moment and then nodded. "Pork. Jasmine what do you like?"

"John and Monica like vegetarian omelettes."

"Okay," Stiles said writing it down on the list.

"You have all our dishes?" Derek asked pulling the list of dishes towards his side of the table.

"Yes," Stiles said holding onto the list causing the paper to lie taught between them threatening to rip. "Why do you want the paper?"

"To look at it," Derek said slamming his other hand on the paper between their fingers and yanking it the rest of the way over to him. Stiles grinned at him and stole the menu turning it over to look at the entrees. He threw the pen at Derek's face which the alpha caught before it hit him and lifted an eyebrow in question.

"Add spring rolls and wantons please," Stiles said with a grin.

"Honey chicken," Jasmine said suddenly causing Stiles and Derek to turn their eyes to her startled, Derek blinked quickly he'd forgotten there was anyone else there; it took him a moment to realise what she meant. He quickly dropped his eyes to the sheet in front of him and wrote her dish down when he reached the realisation.

"I'll call," Stiles said. "Mrs Kim likes me better than you."

"I'd be worried about your virtue if Mrs Kim wasn't old enough to be your mother," Derek said handing over his credit card.

"That really isn't a good enough reason not to worry about my virtue. I could be into older women."

"But you aren't," Derek said with confidence.

"Because he's gay?" Jasmine asked.

Stiles stared at her his mind completely blank.

"Stiles isn't gay," Derek said. "He liked Lydia, and dated a girl named MJ at uni last year."

Stiles turned his back on both werewolves when Mrs Kim answered the phone. "Mrs Kim, it's Stiles…yes I am…very well, I'm enjoying it…no, I'm ordering for the group…Dad is good…no, he shouldn't be ordering Chinese more…I know but he is supposed to be cutting down on meat and rich sauces…is Johnny there tonight?...excellent so he'll deliver it for me?...I promise to make him feel bad for not going to uni…yes Scott is here…Mrs Kim that's not very nice…yes Derek is here…yes he is…Mrs Kim!...can I order now?...thank you Mrs Kim." Stiles ordered their insane list of dishes and gave her Derek's card number.

Stiles didn't realise that Derek was watching him and Jasmine was watching Derek her scowl increasing.

"Derek," Jasmine said dragging his attention back from Stiles.

"Did you want to change your order Jasmine?"

"No thanks." Jasmine said. "What is the plan for tomorrow?"

"Nothing at the moment, we have a couple more days before the full moon so I hadn't planned anything. The pack normally just hangs out when we are all home."

"Yeah," Stiles interrupted them. "Doggy piles, sniffing each other's butts that sort of-OW!" Stiles pushed Derek's pinching fingers away. "Was that necessary?"

"Lydia might laugh at your insanity but really in front of other packs you will give us a reputation."

"We already have one, we are the pack that doesn't own shirts and is all painfully hot. Lead of course by the hottest of the hot."

"Derek," Jasmine supplied.

Stiles looked at her liked she was slow. "No…me."

Derek laughed and Stiles grinned before leaving the kitchen. "I love the fourth movie, come on. Johnny is going to deliver in about an hour."

"So," Derek said following Stiles out leaving Jasmine alone in the kitchen to trail behind them. "We might eat at some point before midnight."

"Mrs Kim will make sure he delivers it hot even if it's not fast."

"It's a good thing you have an inside track Stiles," Jasmine said pushing between the two men.

"Mrs Kim is lovely," Stiles said walking back over to his chair and sliding back under Lydia's head though he sat upright this time.

"Mr Kim is a dragon lady and scary as all fuck," Scott said vehemently.

"She is not," Stiles defended.

"She likes you," Derek explained sitting down next to Stiles a distance of millimetres between their shoulders.

"Why does she like you?" Jasmine asked.

"My sparkling wit and effervescent personality," Stiles said grinning widely showing more teeth than anyone thought was absolutely necessary.

Jasmine stared at him, her lips not even twitching, her eyes screaming that she was unimpressed.

"Or perhaps the fact that I used to live on Chinese after my mum died and I found her cat when it got out and looked after them sometimes."

"You like cats?" Monica asked.

"They are very independent," Stiles said with a grin. "I like them, they snuggle but sometimes they just do their own thing…like werewolves."

Monica laughed with Stiles just as the title music started and they turned back to the movie.

"Hey this one had the ponciest vampire EVER, he's even less imposing that Angel when he was all pathetic and living in a sewer, at least Angel looked dangerous all dirty and wounded." Danny ranted.

"He's cute," Allison defended. "Even if he's in no way scary."

"Oh come on…I sparkle, that's what is scary about me. I. SPARKLE! And have gravity defying hair." Danny continued.

"Danny, let it go." Jackson said slapping his friend on the back.

"Sorry," Danny said sitting back. "Derek, just to double check – no such thing?"

"Nope," Derek confirmed.

"That kinda sucks," Danny said flopping back into his seat.

"Who wants drinks?" Stiles asked bounding up. "Coke, lemonade, orange juice, water?"

"Yes!" Jackson and John said together. Stiles rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Stiles," Derek started. "Can I have-"

"Green tea," Stiles said in a sing-song voice as he left the room. "Oi Scott, get your arse in here and help."

"Yes Sir!" Scott said about to stand up with Jasmine stopped him.

"Scott, I'll go I want to make myself a cup of coffee."

"Okay." Scott smiled resting back and watching Harry's dream which Stiles never particularly liked, he much preferred when they got down to the actual triwizard tournament.

Stiles turned the kettle on and counted how many people were next door as Scott walked into the kitchen behind him. "Do you think we need orange juice? Lydia loves it with Chinese but she'll drink coke instead."

Scott slammed into Stiles' back and he laughed before shoving back but Scott didn't give and his hip was digging painfully into the bench. "Dude, leave off."

"You keep acting like the little omega-bitch Stiles," Jasmine hissed into his ear making Stiles' back stiffen.

"Jasmine, can you please let me go." Stiles asked as politely as he could.

"Sure," Jasmine stepped back. "It's pathetic really." Jasmine reached up and grabbed two mugs from the cupboard above her as well as the coffee and tea.

Stiles took a deep breath. "I don't really need help thanks."

"But you do." Jasmine said as she spooned some coffee into her mug. "You need someone to open your eyes."

"Open them to what?" Stiles wondered if the werewolves in the other room would be able to hear them.

"Between the television and the kettle and that obnoxious whining coming from the fridge they won't be able to make us out unless they really try and I have to say I don't think you are worth enough for any of them to focus on you over that insipid movie."

Stiles sighed and plucked the tea bag Jasmine had just put in the mug and threw it back into the container. "That's Allison's tea. Derek likes the Chinese ones." Stiles opened the tin and put some leaves into the individual steeper deliberately ignoring Jasmine as he worked.

"Of course he does," Jasmine said. "And of course you know."

"We live together," Stiles said stepping back from Jasmine to get the drinks out of the fridge.

"Yes," Jasmine said following Stiles and crowding him into the open fridge. "You do, can't stand to be away from him; I bet you are his slave there too. Are you bending over for him?" Jasmine asked her face too close to Stiles' ear and her hot breath ghosting over the curve of his earlobe.

"What?" Stiles asked backing away forcibly and shoving Jasmine away in surprise. "Of course I'm not!"

Stiles grabbed the drinks and hurried from the room putting the drinks on the coffee table and then walking back into the kitchen slowly his face burning. Stiles walked straight to the cupboard and started pulling out glasses, making sure to dig into the back of the cupboard for the big plastic cups that Jackson and Lydia preferred and keeping his eyes off of Jasmine who was obviously watching him.

The kettle signalled it was done and Jasmine picked it up to pour hot water into her mug.

"No," Stiles said when she went to make Derek's. "I'll do it."

Jasmine watched him as he poured the hot water in and then stirred in some sugar letting the tea leaves steep as he checked the number of cups.

"You're obsessed with him Stiles, and eventually he's going to get sick of humouring you and kick you out of his little pack."

Stiles didn't even bother to respond just pulled the steeper out of the mug put it on the sink and left the room his arms full of cups as well as the mug. He struggled into the lounge room and dumped the cups on Danny and Jackson before sitting down not bothering to get himself a drink. When he looked up Jasmine was staring at him, watching him as he sat there. She smirked at him as she walked over and sat down. Stiles handed Derek his tea and turned to stare at the screen.

"You make the best tea Stiles," Derek said jostling Stiles with his elbow until Stiles turned a smile on him, Stiles caught Jasmine's face falling as he turned to Derek. Stiles knew it shouldn't boost his mood but it did as he tuned back in to the movie just as the Drumstrang students stamped their way into the great hall. Moments later Lydia lifted his arm around her shoulders as she handed him a drink.

"Okay, so Fleur is cute and all," Lydia said. "But she isn't as hot as she sounded in the books."

"I wouldn't kick her out of bed," Stiles said.

"You don't kick anyone out of bed, you even let Jackson crash in your bed when he comes over and he snores like a freight train." Lydia said.

"Not if you knee him in the back," Stiles grinned. "Or it you put a pillow under his back."

"You know everything about the pack don't you Stiles." Jasmine said with a sweet voice.

"No, Derek won't tell me his birthday." Stiles answered poking Derek in the shoulder when he laughed.

"Derek doesn't like birthdays." Jasmine said looking smug.

"He loves birthdays, just not his own." Stiles said.

"He looks very fierce in a birthday hat," Lydia added.

"He has a lovely voice too, and always does the hip-hip for our hooray," Jackson said.

"I like birthdays," Derek confirmed. "But I don't celebrate my own. Hey look there is a movie on."

Everyone took the hint and turned to focus on the movie.

"Snape." Allison said suddenly.

"What?" Scott asked.

"I think McGonagall is sleeping with Snape." Allison clarified.

"Why?" Scott asked turning to look up at Allison.

"Jackson is right McGonagall is one sexy lady, and I reckon Snape would go off like a cracker so why not let them get nasty together." Allison explained with a grin.

"You spend too much time with Lydia," Scott said.

"Hey!" Lydia said reaching around Allison to kick him. "I am excellent, you should be happy your girlfriend has such great taste in friends."

"No, I don't think she'd sleep with a fellow teacher, maybe someone in Hogsmeade…maybe Dumbledore's brother."

"Dumbledore's brother?" John asked.

"Yeah, the old guy who runs the Boar's Head or the Goat's Head or whatever the dodgy pub in Hogsmeade is called where they meet to set up Dumbledore's Army in the next movie," Danny explained.

"That's Dumbledore's brother…oh that's right in the last book he helped them out contacting Dumbledore with the picture or getting them into Hogwarts. I forgot about that, it's been forever since I read those books." John said.

"Maybe she's a lesbian and has something going on with Professor Trelawney," Jackson said.

"They hate each other, they have different ideologies." Lydia reminded him before continuing forcefully. "And two people that different will never work."

"I don't believe that's true," Jasmine said her voice forceful.

"They have nothing in common, their most fundamental beliefs are completely opposite, McGonagall can barely be bothered with her at all until the war comes back," Lydia said sitting forward her eyes telling her pack that she was ready and willing for an argument.

"They are both witches, they are both teachers, they have things in common," Jasmine said her expression tightening up.

"That's like saying two werewolves should get together just because they are both werewolves, who cares if they don't have anything in common and there is someone else who they have a lot in common with sitting right next to them," Lydia's eyes remained focussed on Jasmine and the relaxed feeling in the room turned and twisted unto something tense.

"Even if they were able to get past their differences for a sexual relationship the differences in who they are and what they believe they would never make it passed fuck buddies," Allison said agreeing with Lydia which made Jasmine's face pinch tighter.

"I think she's having sex with Hagrid," John said suddenly forcing everyone to turn to him, Lydia's eyes flicking before Jasmine's.

"She could be a size queen," Danny said quickly.

"I thought that title only applied to gay men," Jackson said. "But she could be - she could like them big and hairy."

"This is such a better castle," Stiles said running with the change of topic; he did not want this evening to turn into another werewolf fight.

"If the war with Voldemort hadn't happened and they had finished their schooling which meant there would be another Triwizard Tournament when they were legally of age do you think Harry would have put his name in again?" Scott asked.

"He didn't put his name in the first time," Stiles reminded him.

"Just answer the question Stiles," Scott said.

"No," Stiles said. "Ron would have though."

"Ron is a little needy, another reason Hermione would have killed him if they dated." Danny said.

"Do you think it's wrong I find Draco hot?" Lydia asked.

"No," Stiles said. "He is cute."

Lydia grinned up at him. "Yeah but it's Draco, knowing he's all damaged and doesn't want to be evil but is and is up himself and a prat. I want to break him and then hug him."

"Hmmm…I wonder why," Stiles said. "Ow, it's not my fault you just projected from your relationship with Jackson into a movie character."

"I don't want Jackson," Lydia said with a pout.

"No, you want-" Stiles grunted when Lydia's elbow connected with his stomach. "Nevermind," he gasped out. "Hermione's hot, I like that she's a bookworm. I'm not surprised Krum went after her."

"Nice save Stiles," Jackson chuckled. "And I am not damaged."

No one said anything choosing to stare at the screen instead.

/ / /

"Ron should just man up and talk to Harry," Allison said. "But excellent I love dragons…Derek are dragons real?"

Derek laughed. "Not as far as I know but you can hope."

"Oh I do," Allison said with a grin.

/ / /

"Charlie is the rock star of the Weasley family," Lydia said.

/ / /

"Okay so she should totally have snogged Harry instead of just hugging him, even Rita Skeeter can see it," Danny said flicking Jackson on the ear.

"You are hopeless," Jackson replied hitting his hand away.

"They are just awesome dude; let it go, just because you have a thing for redheads." Danny laughed.

"Hey, I resemble that comment," Lydia pouted. "Come on, wouldn't you call your broom straight away rather than waiting for the dragon to actually attack?"

"Harry is pretty and all but he's not the smartest, that's why he has Hermione," Stiles said.

/ / /

"Bulgarian BonBon!" John laughed.

/ / /

"I love Professor McGonagall so hard," Stiles said. "She is just so excellent, hard core and she missed nothing, also pretty hot for an older woman."

"I knew I should be worried about your and Mrs Kim," Derek said with a laugh.

/ / /

"Go Neville!" Lydia and Allison said together.

/ / /

"Ron here reminds me of you when you were pining after Lydia," Scott said knocking Stiles' knee.

Stiles decided not to comment.

"You know how I like it when they walk," Scott continued changing his voice to a version of Stiles'.

"Dick," Stiles said thumping Scott on the head.

/ / /

"At the end of a ball there is always someone sitting on stairs crying, doesn't matter if you are magical or not," Monica said with a forlorn sigh. "Wow that was quite maudlin; I had a terrible senior prom." John pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead causing her to smile.

/ / /

"If Hagrid's dad was the human, how did he even **have** sex with a giant? He'd need a gigantic penis." Jackson asked his voice pensive.

"But he was a tiny little man…okay that's just impossible." Allison said trying to picture it in her head.

"Professor Snape seriously needs to get some, it would make him feel so much better," Scott said.

"See, this is why he and McGonagall should be having sex," Allison said.

"He and Madam Hooch could have something going on, some airborne sex." Monica said grinning.

"It's hard enough having sex on a motorcycle how on earth would you do it on a broomstick?" Lydia asked. "What? Stop looking at me like that!"

/ / /

"See this is why you should just never be nice to anyone and just go for what you want regardless," Jasmine said.

"But if he did that he wouldn't be Harry," Stiles said.

"And he wouldn't be the one to defeat Voldemort if he wasn't a good person," Lydia said her eyes on Jasmine.

Stiles knew this would end badly again so he changed the topic, "Is it wrong that we have spent two movies questioning the sex lives of characters in a children's book?"

"Not the children, just the adults around them. That's fine," Jackson said. "Voldemort coming back is kind of icky, he's like a white alien I keep waiting for Sigourney Weaver."

"See he is an excellent Voldemort, all evil and psycho but I still think he'd have been a great Remus," Jackson said.

"Harry needs to step it up, he cannot fight death with the loss of a wand forever," John said. "He's going to have to toughen the fuck up."

"He is," Lydia agreed.

As Harry flew back with Cedric's dead body the doorbell rang and Stiles bounced up to collect it. "Danny wanna grab some plates and cutlery."

"I'll help," Jackson said as they both stood and moved into the kitchen while Derek paused the movie and moved things around on the coffee table. Stiles, Danny and Jackson came back and spread the food and plates out, the pack coming to sit around the table on the floor where they could all reach, John and Monica coming down and joining them. Jasmine wrinkled her nose as she took the last spot between John and Jackson. As they finished the movie they all started eating.

Derek put the prawns from his fried rice on Stiles plate, Stiles gave his cashews and pineapple to Allison who smiled her thanks and smacked Scott away from her spring roll.

"I do love the prawns from fried rice," Jasmine said.

"They are good aren't they?" Stiles smiled as Derek found another prawn and threw it on his plate.

"Can't stand them," Derek said. "Stiles eats them for me."

"I can see that," Jasmine said.

"So what is the plan for tomorrow?" Lydia asked when everyone had been eating silently for a while.

"Let's do something," Danny said. "I swear Jackson I will hurt you if you say it."

Jackson nodded and kept eating.

"But what?" Allison asked.

"We could have a barbeque," Stiles said. "Drag out the inflatable pool, it's been hot lately."

"We could go for a drive out to the mountains and go hiking," Jasmine said quickly.

Derek shook his head. "I have a meeting with the sheriff tomorrow afternoon so it'll need to be close to town."

"You are having a meeting with dad?" Stiles asked surprised.

"Your father is the sheriff?" John asked.

"Yeah," Stiles said still staring at Derek who was studiously avoiding looking at him.

"Then I say we drag the pool out and have a party in the backyard," Jackson said. "Stiles is right, it's been quite warm."

"We could set up the lacrosse pitch," Scott said with a smile.

"I am on Jackson's team," Stiles threw out quickly.

"You traitor," Scott said. "You desert me for him since he is on the team?"

"Yes," Stiles said without remorse. "Best bet given my skills."

"You were a good player."

"No I was crap, I never made first string on my own merits, and if he's the one playing at university level I am on his team."

"Who said it would be his team?" Jasmine asked.

Stiles turned to her for a moment he'd forgotten it wasn't just a normal night with his pack, that there were other people here, people who obviously did not want to slide into their routines but wanted to create their own. Stiles was determined not to say anything to Derek about Jasmine hating him and being a complete bitch, the fact that the term now had so many meanings making his lips quirk. Even though he was keeping silent for Derek he still wanted her to leave, as soon as possible and he wanted her to stop trying to change them – there was nothing wrong with his pack or how it worked.

"The team captains are always Scott and Jackson," Stiles said. "They had quite an unhealthy competition going for most of high school…well when they came into each other's lives properly."

"But we can have different captains for this game," Jackson said. "Maybe the two alphas would like to stand up and then we can just all have some fun."

"I don't know how to play lacrosse," John said.

"Neither do I," Allison said. "And yet every time we play one of these games a stick is shoved into my hands and I'm told to just make it up."

"There aren't really any rules beyond the boundary being the boundary. Apart from that it's to not maim Allison or Stiles," Danny said.

"Special rules for Stiles," Jasmine said with a smirk.

"Well, neither of them are werewolves," Derek said. "Besides it's really for the rest of the pack's piece of mind we don't like to see one of our own hurt especially if it's our own fault."

Stiles looked at Lydia and Scott who both still carried some guilt over injuring him when they'd been new to being werewolves and hadn't been able to control themselves. "Besides, I am the most frequent breaker of that rule," Stiles said finally. "I tend to throw myself into the game and forget that most of the players could rip me apart with their pinkies."

"Not with our pinkies," Lydia said. "I'd probably need more than just those fingers, maybe my thumb too."

Stiles laughed and threw a prawn cracker at her head before turning back to Jasmine. "Did you ever play lacrosse?"

"No," Jasmine said her eyes watching him closely.

"We'll need to spread out the people who don't know the game," Stiles said turning back to the group and grabbing the container of Szechuan Beef to dump onto his plate.

"Not leaving any for leftovers tomorrow?" Danny asked his eyes on Stiles' plate.

"Like there will be leftovers," Stiles said spooning some of the beef back into the container with a sigh and handing it over to Danny who grinned his thanks.

"So we have a basic plan for tomorrow?" Monica asked.

"It does appear that way," Stiles said. "Do you have bathers?"

"Yeah, my aunt has a pool so I packed some," Monica said.

"Then yes we definitely have a plan," Stiles said.

"Yes, it works for me too." Derek said. "I'm happy to have you all invade my house again. Could not think of anything better, please don't even bother to ask."

"We won't," Lydia and Stiles said together before Lydia continued. "Derek would you prefer we all buggered off to Stiles' place again and left you alone?"

Derek looked at Stiles for a moment. "Danny, Jackson get the meat before you come over, Allison want to bake a pie?"

"I'll bring the stuff and make it here so it's fresh," Allison said as Jackson and Danny nodded their agreement to Derek's orders.

"I'll bring salad," Lydia said.

"Oh please tell me it's your potato salad," Stiles said throwing his arm around Lydia and pulling her close.

"Just for you," Lydia said. "And yes Jackson before you pout I will make coleslaw as well." Jackson smiled at her.

"I'll be really quiet and pretend to be helpful," Scott said with a smile.

"Do you want me to come early to help set up?" Stiles asked turning to Derek.

"Please."

"What time is your meeting with dad?"

"Two."

"What is it about?"

"None of your business at this point."

Stiles glared at Derek but turned back to his plate, he'd try and weasel it out of his dad later.

Dinner passed fairly quietly after that and then John and Monica volunteered to do the dishes as everyone sat down to watch the next movie relaxed, full and mostly quiet. The credits finally rolled by and everyone moved to stand slowly.

"We're going to go," Scott said as Allison yawned into his neck again.

"Me too," Lydia standing up. "Give me a lift Stiles?"

"Sure," Stiles said standing and stretching.

"Actually, I need Stiles to help me with something." Derek said.

"I'll take you home," Jackson said.

"What do you need Derek?" Stiles asked.

"I'll explain when everyone is gone," Derek said.

"Oh secrets," Lydia said. "Night Stiles," Lydia kissed him on the cheek and went to drag Jackson up.

"Night guys," Stiles said trailing behind the pack as they walked out of the front door.

"Come over in time for a late breakfast if you like tomorrow," Derek said.

The pack agreed and drove off all tired and ready to go home to bed.

"Well we are off to bed," Monica said. "Night Stiles, Derek."

"Night," Derek said echoing Stiles.

"Jasmine, are you going to bed too?" John asked.

"Not tired," Jasmine said just before she yawned.

"Well, you are welcome to do what you want. Stiles and I will be in the study if you need us." Derek said leading Stiles away.

Derek and Stiles disappeared into the study, a room Derek had specifically made sound proof, leaving Jasmine alone in the entry way looking at the door they had left through and then closed firmly behind them.

**TBC... PROMISE!**


	10. Fun In The Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently I just needed to start editing 'Apartment' and have a lot of people tell me to write the next part already dammit for me to actually be able to get something down on paper.

**Part 10a – Fun In The Sun**

Stiles drove his jeep around the side of the house, it was early and the rest of the pack probably wouldn't be here for another couple of hours but he wanted to get the pool organised before it started to warm up. He caught sight of Derek already out the back pulling it out of the shed so Stiles bounded out of his car and headed out to Derek.

"You're early," Derek said. "Did you sort it out with Allison?"

"Yeah, it's all done," Stiles said. "I said I'd come and help set up last night."

"I know but I didn't expect you here so early, it was late when you finally left."

Stiles grabbed the end of the deflated pool and lifted it so he and Derek could carry it over to the flat section of land where they always set the pool up. Stiles could see that Derek had already raked the area.

"I woke up and Dad's at work so I figured I'd come and I knew you'd be up early."

Derek began unfolding the plastic but looked up at Stiles with a raised eyebrow.

"You can't help yourself you like to have things ready when you have people over even if it is only the pack," Stiles continued grinning at him widely.

Derek grinned. "It annoys me sometimes that you think you know me ever so well."

"And then you realise I really do and decide it's nice?"

Derek laughed. "Not how I would put it."

Stiles and Derek worked at getting the pool all laid out before they could pump it up.

"Well if we work under the assumption that I don't actually know you that well and that you can in fact deal with people coming without worrying about everything being set up before the they get here it's just incredibly lucky then that I was here in time to help set up the pool."

Derek laughed and turned on the pump. "Smart arse."

Stiles craned around so he could see his own backside. "I know right?"

Derek laughed again and moments later Jasmine came outside. "Derek I keep hearing you laugh what's going on?"

"Done," Stiles said bouncing up from where he'd been laying on the ground to attach the pump hoses.

"Stiles hi," Jasmine said the smile falling off her face for a moment before she let her eyes flick back to Derek the smile returning to her face.

"Stiles came over to help set up," Derek said turning the pump on.

"That's nice, I didn't think we'd see you for a while you left very late last night."

"Yeah," Stiles said. "We had a lot to discuss. Derek I'll go and get the hose."

Derek nodded watching the pool inflate watching for any problems.

"Do you want any help Derek?" Jasmine asked.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks."

"You said that before but you obviously have Stiles helping," Jasmine said quietly.

"He came over to help," Derek said with a shrug. "You can go back inside and keep doing whatever you were no one else will be here for a while."

Jasmine nodded and started back towards the house watching as Stiles came back with the hose. "Any problems?"

"Nope, seems to be fine but we won't know until it's finished."

"So," Stiles started dropping down to sit on the ground and wait it out. "What are you meeting with my dad about?"

"Did that suddenly become your business?"

Stiles poked his tongue out at Derek. "Dad wouldn't tell me anything either."

"Because it is none of your business."

"I have this feeling it should be, I am part of the pack."

"When are you going to realise Stiles," Derek said dropping down to sit next to the younger man. "You don't actually have to know everything that occurs."

"It's not that I have to know everything about the pack so much as I like to and I generally do."

"Who said it had anything to do with the pack?"

"Hmm," Stiles said. "It is a possibility but I just don't think it could be about anything else."

Derek stretched out on the grass closing his eyes against the sun but basking in the heat soaking into his body. "Well at this point it is none of your business and you are just going to have to accept that. Wake me when the pool is finished inflating."

"Fine," Stiles said watching the pool inflate and listening to Derek breath next to him mixed with the sounds of the nature around him.

When the pool was inflated Stiles set the pump to the right setting and poured some water over the sides checking for leaks, Derek was snoring quietly now so Stiles stayed as quiet as he could until he'd finished checking the pool over before filling it with water throwing in the purification and chemical tablets. Stiles sat back down next to Derek and waited for the pool to fill up.

The pool was full and completely intact still. Derek was awake so he and John were setting up the lacrosse field. Monica was sitting behind Stiles who was cleaning off the barbeque plates as they talked about Monica and her adjustment to being a werewolf. Jasmine was inside somewhere but Stiles neither cared nor wanted her to come out.

"I don't really like eating raw meat but John and Jasmine only really hunt on the full moon and I just tend to not eat after the hunting and killing part is over," Monica said with a shrug.

"We tried hunting a couple of times, Lydia bitched so much she scared most of the game away and even when she'd let them catch something she refused to eat it and then complained about killing Bambi's mother."

Monica laughed behind him. "See and that's the thing Disney has made it hard for us bitten werewolves."

"Walt Disney was obviously a hunter," Stiles said when he turned the gas off the plates clean again and ready for breakfast and lunch when the rest of the pack arrived.

"Obviously," Monica paused for a few minutes but Stiles could see that she wanted to say something so he waited sitting down across from her at the table. "Stiles can I ask you a question. You don't have to answer it but I'm curious."

"Shoot," Stiles said figuring this would be something about his decision not to be turned.

"Has Derek offered you the bite?"

"Yeah," Stiles rubbed at his wrist remembering the press of Peter's claws. "His uncle did too before he was taken care of. At the time I think I wanted to be a werewolf but not to actually be a werewolf so much as I didn't want to lose Scott and also so I wasn't constantly excluded from the pack that was forming. When Derek finally asked me it was a while after he'd bitten Jackson and Lydia had turned, and I don't think he really wanted to add more to the pack. I never asked and I suppose a part of him was waiting for me too. Jackson was surprised I didn't ask, I think he is still a little surprised I said no but it's different for him. Sorry I tend to ramble."

"Don't worry," Monica said with a smile. "John rambles as well, I find it soothing."

Stiles grinned. "Derek asked me if I wanted to be a werewolf, we were in the middle of ripping down the last remnants of the old house before we could start rebuilding it. He'd had to come to my house for about a dozen dinners so that my dad and Melissa, Scott's mum, would let us out here to help and he turned to me and asked flat out if I wanted the bite. I wasn't paying complete attention to him and I said no without really thinking about it. Then I regretted it, I was so worried I wouldn't be able to help out the pack anymore. Scott is my brother for all intents and purposes, and Lydia was the girl of my dreams and I was part of a family again. Admittedly a dysfunctional and somewhat violent family at that point but I hadn't really had that in that way since my mum died. Don't get me wrong I love my dad and he's amazing but things were different after my mum died. Then one day Derek was yelling at me about something stupid I'd done and he told me I was part of the pack. Over time I finally got it out of him that I was pack for life, he wouldn't kick me out, he wouldn't force the bite on me, I could be exactly what I am now and still be part of pack unless I wanted out. That was pretty much the day I stopped wanting to be a werewolf."

Monica was silent for a long time and Stiles left her to it listening to the soft rumble of noise from Derek and John and enjoyed the warm day.

"I'm really glad you found a pack that will let you be you," Monica said finally, quietly, seconds before Danny and Jackson appeared around the side of the house carrying enough meat for an army. Stiles stared at Monica for another minute. "I'm happy with my decision Stiles," Monica said with a smile. "I'm just glad you got to make yours for you."

"Did you guys buy enough meat?" Stiles said turning to his packmates who'd dumped the food on the table.

"See I told you," Jackson said. "It's cool we can always get more."

Jackson grinned at Stiles who shook his head. "What did you buy?"

"That one is bacon, for breakfast," Jackson said shoving a bag at Stiles. "The rest is for lunch and dinner if we decide to stick around, I'll shove it in the fridge."

"He is incorrigible," Danny said with a sigh.

"But the butcher loves him."

"The butcher would offer him his daughter if he had one," Danny replied stealing Stiles' drink to take a long sip.

"Dude, more inside none of you understand basic ownership at all."

"Packs share," Danny said with a grin.

"That was stealing," Stiles said just as Jackson came out with three mugs of coffee and placed on in front of Stiles. "Thanks."

Jackson smirked and Stiles glared daring him to say something more and ensuring the other man knew there would be consequences. Jackson kept his comments to himself and sunk down into a chair next to Monica.

"Are you cooking us breakfast Stiles?" Jackson asked taking a sip.

"No," Stiles said watching Jackson wearily. "You know Derek likes to barbeque."

"Course, makes sense," Jackson said

"I'm missing something aren't I?" Monica said looking between Jackson's smirk, Stiles' glare and the way that Danny's shoulders were shaking a little.

"Jackson got really drunk a month ago and has decided that it's hilarious to call me names when I cook," Stiles said throwing the tongs in front of him at Jackson's head.

"Names?" Monica asked.

"Jackson," Stiles said sweetly. "You have forgotten a few **very** important things, one I can easily make you pay, I handle most of your food and you do so enjoy my potato bake."

"Oh man," Jackson interrupted. "You made potato bake?"

"Not yet," Stiles said. "Wouldn't you prefer to know I haven't laced it with wolfsbane?" Jackson nodded. "And have you forgotten my special talent?" Jackson shook his head. "Do you enjoy digging bullets out of your arse?" Jackson shook his head. "So, the names?"

"Are going to stop," Jackson said pouting. "Though that little speech totally proves my point."

Stiles rolled his eyes at Jackson moments before Jasmine walked out from the house wearing the tiniest sundress Stiles had ever seen, a complete change from what she had been earlier today.

"Morning everyone," Jasmine said coming to sit at the table.

Jackson's eyes followed her arse as she walked past him and Stiles rolled his eyes at the sheer obviousness of Jackson's move.

"Jackson, you are so painfully obvious I want to hit you," Lydia said from behind Stiles before she dropped a kiss on the top of his head and walked inside to put her dishes in the fridge.

Derek and John had joined them by the time Scott and Allison arrived rushing around the side of the house Allison apologising for being late as she disappeared into the house two heavy bags of pie ingredients in her hands for the already full fridge.

"Scott, why do you have a black eye?" Danny asked.

"Walked into a door," Scott said with a shrug and even Stiles without the benefit of his extra abilities knew he was lying but unlike Derek who stood up Stiles knew when to leave Scott alone by the tone in his voice. Stiles shook his head at Derek who nodded and paused to let Stiles sort it out.

"Those bloody doors," Stiles said handing Scott his mug. "Derek the barbeque is ready for you."

Jackson coughed and Stiles levelled him with a glare. Jackson dropped his eye and muttered an apology.

"I'm not going to ask," Derek said turning the burners on, Danny stood and helped him get ready while Lydia and Allison disappeared inside to gossip and make toast.

Stiles waited until the bacon was sizzling before slinging an arm around Jackson's shoulder and told him to go and shove the tomatoes and hash browns in the oven. Jackson went with a salute and Stiles pulled Scott out of his chair to help him check on the pool.

"What happened?" Stiles asked as soon as they were out of ear shot.

"I dropped Allison off last night and her grandfather is in town."

"Grandfather?"

"She didn't know and he isn't very impressed with me. He told Allison to get into the house and I stuck around but everything was fine. I checked on her after I got home. When I got there this morning I was early to pick her up and I heard them. Her grandfather was telling her off for disgracing the family name. I knew it was a bad idea for her to go back there but her parents kept asking. Mum said she could keep staying with us but she hates fighting with her parents so she agreed to go back. I could hear them from outside and I should have waited I suppose."

Stiles scoffed. "No you shouldn't. So I assume you knocked on the door and she said she was leaving with you."

"That was when her grandfather punched me and kicked me out of the house."

"I bet Allison took that really well," Stiles said looking at the now yellow bruise.

Scott grinned. "There was some very colourful language Allison used before she grabbed her bag and we left."

"How is she?"

"I hate that I'm causing so many problems and I think about breaking up with her so that things are easier and then remember the times when we have been broken up and I don't."

"She'd kick your arse," Stiles said with a grin. "And I'd help her. Silly to make everyone miserable, if she chooses to end things because of her family that's fine…sucky but her choice, but you don't get to make that decision for her."

"That's what she said."

"Great minds."

"Have you told Derek about another hunter in town? The full moon is coming."

"I'll talk to him today," Scott said before he titled his head and scented the air. "The bacon is ready."

"We should head back before Lydia steals all of it."

Stiles and Scott started back to the house getting there just as Derek was cracking eggs into the rings and the girls with Monica's help were dragging out mounds of plates, cutlery and anything else they would need. Stiles slipped away from Scott's side as his friend went in to help Allison and he stepped up to the back of the barbeque where Derek had been watching him. Derek raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything and Stiles smiled because it was fine and nothing the alpha needed to worry about. Only the new hunter was really important to the pack as a whole but that was Scott's tidbit to tell. Stiles stayed while Derek flipped the eggs and pulled the rings from around them and Danny disappeared from where he'd been standing to go inside and steal hash browns like he always did when they had breakfast.

"Did you put extra ones in?" Derek asked cracking more eggs.

Stiles gave him a look he hoped expressed how silly he thought that question was.

"Right, of course you did."

"Derek do you need some help?" Jasmine asked appearing at his side suddenly.

"Nope, almost done. Stiles can you grab the plate for the eggs?"

"I can do it," Jasmine said.

"It's cool I know where it is," Stiles said stepping around the barbeque leaving Derek with Jasmine and her short skirt.

They sat down to breakfast and Stiles was again shocked at the sheer amount of food his pack was eating. It was obscene, it would be worse except he knew his plate looked about the same as Danny's first plate so he supposed he couldn't actually comment. The only person who ate normally was Allison who was sitting closer to Scott that normal but other than that she seemed okay after this morning.

"Okay," John said sitting back from his empty plate. "So if I am going to be humiliated while playing lacrosse can we do it before I think of a really good excuse?"

"No excuse will be good enough," Lydia said. "I have tried them all."

"She once told us she couldn't play because she was allergic to sweat," Stiles said. "Another time she came with a forged note from her doctor telling us she wasn't allowed to play sports with flying balls."

"Laughed for an hour," Jackson threw in.

"Yes well you're four," Lydia said with a wicked grin. "But I agree if we get it over and done with I can change into my bathers and hang out in the pool while Stiles fetches me drinks."

Stiles laughed and grabbed her plate adding to his collection. "You wish sweetheart."

"I don't need to," Lydia said standing up to help him.

By the time they had made it out of the kitchen with the dishwasher going behind them the group had been split into two teams and Jackson's…no…John's group was taking their shirts off with the exception of Monica and Allison who were simply pulling singlets on over their bathers.

"Stiles you're on our team," Jackson said calling him over.

Stiles swore softly under his breath, he always somehow got stuck on the skins team which was only partially depressing given he was surrounded by genetically gifted werewolves.

"Buck up Stiles, we covered this the other night, we'd all jump you if given the chance."

Stiles rolled his eyes and shoved him over towards Derek and his team.

John handed over leadership to Jackson after the fourth whispered suggestion while John had been trying to give them instructions.

Their first game went spectacularly John's team's way when Stiles and Jackson knocked Scott over before making a mad dash for the goals. Jasmine went for the save but the ball flew past her and she glared at Stiles who'd made the shot. After that it became a fight between Stiles and Scott, Scott was obviously at an advantage but Stiles maintained that he was scrappy and a more epic tussle between Jackson and Danny who were much more evenly matched. Danny should have been goalie but they had decided a long time ago that even if there was a disadvantage on the field it was better than a disadvantage in the goals. Derek had become pretty good over the years of these fun games but he was spending more time explaining what to do to Monica and Jasmine that he did trying to play. John had asked Jackson how he could be the most use and was deploying his superior strength in knocking either Danny or Scott on their arse.

Jackson's team won the first game 10 to 2 before Derek's team was able to come up with a strategy but Stiles didn't like the glint in Lydia's eye as they huddled back together before their second game.

Things turned to crap not long after the beginning of the second game when Derek took a run at Jackson and flying tackled him. Derek kept him on the ground while Lydia and Danny ran for the other end of the field and Scott kept Stiles busy. Lydia flashed Jackson during the second play causing him to miss the catch and causing Stiles to laugh so hard at Jackson's indignation he fall over allowing Jasmine to make the next shot against Allison who made a valiant effort to stop the ball but in the end failed. Jackson smacked Stiles upside the head when they came back together for a quick meeting but Stiles continued to smirk at him. Stiles kicked him in retaliation before they tried to come up with a strategy though Stiles knew if Lydia was behind this they would have no hope of coming up with a suitable defence because she would not use the same diversionary tactic twice. Stiles even knew where the flashing idea had come from and he tried to think about the other movies they'd seen recently. Damn their Heath Ledger retrospective.

The rest of the second game went in much the same way at one point Scott and Lydia tackled John to the ground tickling him which caused Monica to come to his aid allowing Danny and Derek to take out Stiles and Jackson before Jasmine again ran out of the goals and sent the ball past Allison again. By the end of the game Jackson's team had clawed back three points while Lydia's team…no one argued with the fact she had usurped power from Derek unceremoniously…crowed over their victory.

They decided to call it even at two games, one a piece.

"You are just scared that it will get back to your coach that you were bested by a girl and her…girls," Lydia said hooking an arm through Jackson's elbow.

"That has nothing to do with it," Jackson said. "You were cheating."

Lydia shrugged. "You and Scott are the ones that decided there were no rules, I'm just taking advantage."

"And doing so beautifully," Stiles said with a grin. "Buck up Jackson I'll make two potato bakes to make you feel better."

"I'll come and do my crusts while you're doing that," Allison said skipping over to him and leaving everyone else to grab drinks and head to the pool to cool down.

Stiles had just finished peeling all his potatoes when Allison started. "Scott told you about this morning?"

"Yeah, with your grandfather, are you okay?"

Allison bit her lip. "I get it, I saw Peter and the other werewolves we've met who aren't like Derek, who aren't like Scott but I don't understand how they can't see that this pack is different."

"They've been fighting werewolves their whole lives and I've read a lot of the literature some of them are bad, bad people who deserved to be hunted down. Peter looks tame in comparison. I'm not making excuses for them but they are fighting a lot of ingrained prejudices."

"I have tried to be understanding but it's been years Stiles, years!"

"I know," Stiles stopped and pulled Allison into a hug, she slumped against him. "You deserve better."

"I'm worried that Scott is going to turn noble."

"He is too scared of being without you to break up with you and if he makes that decision for the both of you I'll hold him while you beat him."

Allison laughed against him before stealing her spine and pulling away. "I'd pin him against a wall with arrows laced in wolfsbane."

Stiles laughed. "At least you have a plan."

"It's fine when I'm away because they just want to know about school and what I'm doing and when they come to visit Scott isn't around but when we're here it's like I could be a heroin addicted prostitute and they'd be more happy with my life choices."

"You would be one of those high class ones that cause scandals with politicians and actors."

"Oh thank you Stiles," Allison said balling up her dough ready for the fridge.

"Anytime."

"I just want them to see him for who he is."

"I know," Stiles rested his hip against the counter the pot full of potatoes cooking behind him.

"I am the daughter of a hunter, I helped kill Derek's uncle, my aunt murdered his family and yet you have accepted me into your pack."

"It took Derek a while."

"I know," Allison started cleaning up her movements forceful. "But he judged me for me, on my own actions not on what I was born into or who my family is. Werewolves, who I keep being told are no better than animals, act with more compassion than my own family."

"I'm so sorry Allison. What can I do?"

"Listening to me is good, I like talking to Scott about things but I worry when it's about my family. You are the only other human in a wolf pack I know."

"I'm here all week."

Allison laughed. "I'm going to be fine but I might take you up on that."

"Anytime Allison," Stiles pulled her into a hug pressed a kiss to her forehead and lead her outside the timer in his hand.

"You trying to make time with my girl Stilinksi?" Scott screamed out from the pool.

"Not trying Scott, she and I have something to tell you."

Scott laughed at him as Allison and Stiles climbed into the pool where the pack and Derek's guests were lounging after their game.

**TBC...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is supposed to be longer but I decided to cut it in half so lunch and the afternoon, etc. will be in the next chapter which I am still writing.


	11. Part 10b – Drawing A Line In The Sand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should be doing my assignment, instead I am writing this, no more unitl both assignment are done. NOTHING...put your hand up if you believe me....nope no hands :) Enjoy...

**Part 10b – Drawing A Line In The Sand**

Stiles sunk into the pool between Jackson and Danny making sure to kick Jackson on the way down who was still pouting about losing the second game.

"I promise to put extra bacon in the second potato bake okay?"

Jackson bit down on his smile before turning to Stiles and shrugged. "I suppose."

"You are so easy," Stiles said throwing his wrist with waterproof dressing over the edge of the pool to try and keep it dry.

"That's what all the girls say," Danny chipped in from his other side.

Jackson rolled his eyes but smiled at Stiles. "Extra cheese on top too?"

"Fine."

"See this is why he calls you those names," Danny said splashing Stiles.

Lydia turned and floated on her back over to Stiles before she made herself comfortable in his lap. "Why does Jackson get treats when I won the game?"

Jackson huffed and swam to the other side of the pool where Derek, Jasmine and John were having a conversation about New York.

"You know that wasn't very nice," Stiles said pinching Lydia's waist. She flinched away from him and landed a sharp jab with her elbow between two of his ribs. "Hey!"

"Lydia don't bruise Stiles." Derek reminded her.

"Alpha's favourite," Lydia muttered under her breath while Stiles beamed at her.

Lydia slid off his lap onto the spot next to him that Jackson had vacated.

"So I was thinking," Lydia started. "Derek is going to see your dad this afternoon so you and me go see a movie."

"Something stupid?"

"I was thinking something what would get us mercilessly mocked by everyone else."

"Excellent," Stiles agreed with glee.

"Does that mean we have to leave when Derek goes to his meeting?" Danny asked them pushing down on Stiles' shoulder so he could see Lydia. She shrugged her answer so he let go of Stiles to turn to his alpha. "Hey Derek do we have to leave when you go to your super-secret meeting with the sheriff?"

Derek turned from him conversation to look at Danny, his eyes flicked over to Stiles for a moment before going back to Danny. "Do you ever leave my house?"

Danny thought about it for a moment. "Not normally."

"In fact my house has been absurdly, bizarrely quiet since we came home."

"That's because of the evil whore," Lydia muttered into the skin behind Stiles' ear causing a full body shudder that made Derek's eyes snap back to him.

"We've been spending time with our families," Stiles said the skin behind his ear still tingling while Derek frowned at him. "Sudden breeze," he said in explanation.

"The sheer force of my sexuality you mean?" Lydia whispered.

Derek growled. "Lydia I can hear you."

She pulled away from Stiles and grinned at him. "I know darling."

Stiles bit down on his lip but was saved from having to say anything by the timer going off behind him. With a grin he stood and swam over to the steps to get out. He threw a smile at Derek who was looking at him strangely before he grabbed the timer and went back towards the house wrapping himself in a towel. Stiles dried off and threw his top back on before he went inside and checked the potatoes. They were ready so he turned them off and started making his potato bake. Jackson came through the door just as Stiles had started the second dish he stepped too close and gave Stiles a hug making his entire back wet.

"Jackson!"

"What?" Jackson asked his voice full of fake innocence before it turned annoyed. "There's nothing to steal yet?"

"You cannot be hungry already," Stiles said stepping away from Jackson his back now both cold and wet.

"I'm always hungry," Jackson said grabbing an apple. "We are starting a game of pool volleyball and the teams are uneven when are you going to be done?"

Stiles started slicing the next potato. "I'll come out when I'm done."

"Stiles," Jackson whined. "Can you hurry?"

"I can just make one instead of two."

"You just take your time Stiles," Jackson said. "We'll make do until you're done."

"That's what I thought," the door behind them opened again but Stiles didn't bother to turn around.

"You are cooking again Stiles," Jasmine said from behind him and Stiles sighed while Jackson pressed closer to his side. "How typical."

"What does that mean?" Jackson said before Stiles had a chance.

"Don't worry about it," Stiles said quietly to Jackson who was glaring at Jasmine.

"All I mean," Jasmine said. "Is that Stiles is so often in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, doing so much for Derek's pack."

"We're all pack we look after each other."

"That's what a pack does," Jasmine agreed. "So lucky that Derek found someone so willing to look after a pack when he's not a werewolf."

Stiles grabbed Jackson's forearm holding onto him tightly.

"I cannot wait to taste your cooking Stiles," she said in a sweet voice.

"Thank you Jasmine, I hope it is as good as **my pack** has made it out to be."

"It will be," Jackson said.

"I'm sure, well I had best get back out there. Derek and I were having the most interesting chat about Berkeley. Maybe I'll come out and visit him sometime."

"Sounds lovely," Stiles said dropping his head down and cutting more potatoes viciously. He kept going until he heard the door close behind him again.

"If she comes to visit you Lydia will rip her limb from limb," Jackson said.

"If she comes to visit Lydia will do nothing of the sort, I'll deal with it and it will be fine. She is a bitch but sticks and stones and all the rest."

Jackson huffed. "She is a bitch."

Stiles dropped the knife and turned to Jackson. "You shouldn't let her get to you, she wants you to disagree with her. Nothing she says is particularly evil or wrong I do spend a lot of time cooking."

"And we appreciate it. Danny and I pray and hope that one day you'll decide to transfer to us."

Stiles laughed and shoved Jackson with his hip.

"You shouldn't let her get away with treating you like a servant," Jackson said turning serious again.

"Coming from the man who thinks it's hilarious to call me mummy when I cook."

"I would call you daddy but Derek would get offended."

"Elizabeth has two daddies," Stiles said in a sing-song voice.

Jackson laughed. "You wish Stiles."

Stiles coloured and elbowed Jackson catching him before the werewolf was able to dance away. Jackson laughed as he went out the door reminding Stiles to hurry up for their game. Stiles took a couple of deep breaths and went back to his cooking.

When he came out of the house Jackson was trying to hold Danny under the water while Allison threw the ball at his head. Stiles laughed and threw his t-shirt over one of the chairs around the pool while Danny twisted and turned and shoved Jackson under the water Allison catching his legs to keep him down.

"So what's happening?" Stiles asked getting into the pool.

"Jackson and Danny had a disagreement about whose fault it was that they lost the last point," Derek said rolling his eyes at his betas. "You're on my team."

"They seriously thought it would be a good idea to put you, me and Lydia on a team together."

Derek grinned at him. "Silly people."

"How much are we up?"

"Two points," Lydia said floating on her back. "But that is more due to Jackson and Danny's epic unresolved sexual needs than the fact we were a person down."

"I wouldn't have sex with him if he asked nicely," Danny called out before Jackson surged out of the water and sucker punched him in the gut.

"Like I would have sex with you either."

"I never ever said the two of you should have sex with one another but if that ever happens I want details and pictures."

"Lydia," Stiles sighed. "You worry me, so very much sometimes."

She beamed back at him and dropped her voice to continue. "I just want to know if he has the same sex face when he's being fucked as when he's doing the…what?" Everyone was staring at her. "Fine no more discussion of sex lives though it's not my fault everyone has super hearing."

Allison's comment that she doesn't have super hearing and had no problem hearing what Lydia said was drowned out by Jackson's indignant question about why Danny would be on top.

"Thank you," Derek said pointing at Danny and Jackson in turn. "Both of you quit it and let's keep playing. Stiles is back."

"I suddenly see a problem," Scott said from where he and John had been staying out of their teammates' ways while they fought."

"Well then you really should have been paying attention earlier," Lydia said with an evil smirk.

"Ah fuck!" Jackson and Danny said together.

As expected Derek, Lydia and Stiles with some help from Monica, who mainly stayed out of the way and laughed at the other team's annoyance, managed to dominant the game. Scott, Jackson and Danny who were too competitive within their own team to do well became more and more annoyed the larger the points difference became and less likely to listen to Allison who unlike Lydia refrained from using violence to ensure attention was being paid to her.

Lydia and Allison declared this to be the last point as both needed to go into the house and sort out the salad and pie.

John served the ball and it landed in the perfect spot for Derek to hit it up into the air unfortunately both Lydia and Stiles went for the final hit across the net and in a move considered both spectacular and horrific on recount Stiles felt something in front of his foot just before he tripped and fell connecting with Lydia's knee as she attempted to get the ball. Stiles' head snapped back and his nose exploded in pain and he fell forward into the water. Something heavy landed on his back forcing all the air out of his lungs. The weight was suddenly yanked off before Stiles was gripped by the shoulders and pulled out of the water.

"Are you okay?"

Stiles blinked his vision swimming as tears streamed down his face.

"Stiles."

"Stiles talk to me."

"Crap that's a lot of blood."

Stiles shook himself out of the hands of whoever was holding him and stood on his own two feet breathing deeply while he tried to focus on the group standing in front of him who all looked worried except for Jasmine who was scowling at him holding her arm close to her body.

"Okay," Monica said stepping to the front of the group. "Stop hovering, step back and let me have a look."

"Why?" Derek asked putting himself between Monica and Stiles.

"I'm a doctor, I'll have a look and we'll see what to do from there."

Derek growled at her as she took a step forward. She stepped back in response.

"Derek," Stiles reached out and touched Derek gently between his shoulder blades.

Derek spun and grabbed Stiles by his elbows again. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, but I think Monica should have a look at it." Derek growled. "Relax and help me out of the water my eyes keep watering."

Derek pulled him close and wrapped an arm around his waist helping him to the side of the pool and to the stairs. Stiles grabbed the bar and started up the stairs blood still pouring out of his nose and down his chest. Derek pushed him into a chair and dropped down into a crouch in front of him. Stiles blinked his eyes and reached out for a towel to wipe them careful to miss his nose before he rubbed at his chest. When Stiles opened his eyes again his pack was standing behind Derek watching him closely.

"Derek you're going to need to move out of the way so Monica can look at my nose."

"You sound funny," Scott informed him watching him closely.

Stiles smiled at him happy that things couldn't be too bad if Scott could joke with him. Derek didn't move. "Derek."

Derek stood and stepped to the side giving Monica only enough space to step up in front of Stiles.

"Okay Stiles," Monica said smiling at him. "I'm going to need to feel your nose okay?"

"Alright, this is going to hurt right?"

"Yeah," Monica said. "Do you guys have a first aid kit? And gloves?"

"I'll get them," Lydia said rushing off towards the house.

The timer went off in the chair beside Derek. Stiles looked to Allison. "Will you check the potato bake and if it's brown pull it out?"

"I can do it," Jackson offered.

"No, you cannot. You'll eat it."

Jackson nodded and stood back giving Stiles a view of Jasmine who was still holding her arm against her body.

"Are you okay Jasmine?" Stiles asked.

"Jasmine fell down with you," Scott said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Then Derek pulled her off you," Danny said his eyes flashing green telling Stiles that Derek had been at least a little wolfed out and forceful which explained Jasmine's less than pleased expression as Derek continued to hover protectively at his side like he did whenever a member of the pack was hurt and the danger had passed.

Lydia came back out handing Monica the first aid kit. She pulled the gloves out and on before turning to Stiles and dropping down in front of him.

"Ready?"

Stiles nodded and closed his eyes while Monica pressed her fingers into his cheekbones. She moved her fingers in until they touched skin that made Stiles hiss, he heard a low rumbling growl from Derek in response. Monica continued her exploration more tears stinging Stiles' eyes with the pain coming from his nose. Finally after what felt like forever Monica pulled her hands away from his face.

"Jackson can you go and fill a ziplock bag with ice and bring it back with a tea towel?"

"Sure," Jackson said bounding away.

Stiles opened his eyes slowly and pulled the towel back up to rub at his eyes.

"It's broken but you're lucky there is no damage to your cheekbones which given that Lydia is a werewolf was a definite possibility, you seem to have hit the knee very cleanly. Your nose is a little out of place. I can fix it but it's going to hurt. A lot," Monica's eyes flicked to Derek who was towering over her. "It's better if I do it before it starts swelling, you're lucky I was here once the swelling sets in they can't set the break."

Stiles took a deep breath in through his mouth and nodded. "Do it."

"Derek," Monica turned to the alpha and took a deep breath. "Go for a walk."

"What?" The word came out more growl than question and Stiles had to give Monica kudos for not flinching.

"You're hovering and putting me off. This is going to be bad enough without you growling in my ear so take a walk."

"Come on," Danny said as he and Lydia grabbed Derek's shoulders and turned him around to walk him towards the woods. "Let's go for a walk."

Monica turned back when Derek was out of sight and pulled a chair in front of Stiles. "Take a deep breath," she said her fingers soft on his nose with her other hand on the back of his head. "1, 2 and," she flicked her wrist and Stiles' head exploded in pain again. "Done."

"Fuckity fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck," Stiles grunted moments later there was an answering growl from the woods where Derek had disappeared.

Scott was laughing at him. "Seriously that is the best swearing you could do."

"In pain here Scott."

"You'll live."

"He certainly will," Monica said feeling his nose again to check the alignment before pulling out a bit of tape and pressing it gently to his nose to keep it in place. "Okay, you put ice on for fifteen, off for fifteen, repeat. You need to keep your head elevated when you're in bed, above your heart to keep the swelling down." Jackson handed over the ice pack. "If the bleeding hasn't stopped in the next ten minutes we should go into the hospital in case but unless that happens or you develop a bad headache you should be okay."

"Thanks," Stiles said pressing the ice to his nose.

Monica pulled her gloves off and tucked them into the towel Stiles had used to mop up the blood.

"I should wash the blood off huh?" Stiles said looking down at himself.

"It would be a good idea," Monica said. "You cannot go into the pool again today."

"I think the general presence of blood in the pool would encourage us all to stay out," Jasmine said.

"Come on Stiles," Scott said coming over and pulling him up. "Let's go and get the blood off you."

"My change of clothes is in my car."

"I'll get it," Jackson said following them.

"Jasmine do you want me to look at your arm?" Monica asked turning to her.

"No," she said with a sneer. "Even if there was a problem it's already healing since everyone was so worried about Stiles' nose."

"Jasmine he was bleeding profusely." John reminded her.

Stiles washed the blood off and by the time he was out of the shower his nose had stopped bleeding. Jackson had left his clothes on the sink next to the ice pack. When he made it out of the bathroom Derek was pacing in front of the door.

Derek span when the door opened. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Stiles said his voice a little strange now that his nose was swelling regardless of the ice pack covering it. "And now not at all covered in blood."

"Lydia is worried about you, she feels bad," Derek said grabbing Stiles' face in his hands so he could see his nose. Stiles pulled the ice pack away to allow him to see properly. "It's started bruising."

"And swelling."

"Is it just your nose?"

"My knee is a little sore from falling on it but other than that I'm fine."

"Jasmine didn't hurt you when she fell on you?"

"Don't think so, was she going for the ball too?"

"I think so," Derek let go of Stiles' face so he could put the ice pack back and they went downstairs. "You're going to stick around until you dad is home right? So we can keep an eye on you."

"I'm going to be fine."

"Rethink your answer Stiles," Derek muttered gruffly.

"Of course I am going to stay until my dad is home."

Derek smiled at him and they made their way to the kitchen where Lydia was busy fiddling with her salads while Allison smacked Danny on the arm when he tried to steal the fillings for her pies.

Lydia span as they entered the room and stepped over to Stiles. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry about your nose."

"It's all good, if you were that annoyed about the fact I wasn't making you something special you could have just said something."

Lydia laughed and pulled him into a hug. "Sorry," she whispered into his neck.

"Not your fault, I tripped or slipped or whatever. You know me."

Lydia pulled away and with a smile went back to her salads. Derek pressed a hand to the middle of Stiles' back and pushed him out of the kitchen and outside to sit at the table. Danny put a drink down in front of Stiles.

"Am I allowed to eat Monica?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah, then you can have some pain medication."

"Good deal." Stiles rested back the ice still pressed to his nose which had started throbbing since his shower.

Derek turned the barbeque on his eye still on Stiles. "You are not to do anything."

"I can deal with that," Stiles said. "Also for my present I think I would like a pony."

"Your present?" Jasmine asked from the other end of the table.

"When one of us gets hurt Derek buys them a present to make them feel better," Lydia said putting down her salad. "We're keeping the potato bake on warm."

"I'll come and check it," Stiles said standing. He hadn't made it more than two inches off the chair when there was a forceful hand on his shoulder.

"No you won't," Lydia said. "We've got it under control, I'm thinking I'll hit the video store and we can have an 80s teen movie marathon instead."

"I'm in," Allison said sitting in Scott's lap her fingers running over the skin around his eye that was now completely normal again.

"Oh that sounds great," Scott said dropping his head onto Allison's arm with a sigh.

"We'll do it here," Derek said pointing to Jackson. "You can go and buy snacks while I'm out."

"Why me?"

"Because Stiles is not allowed to run errands," Jasmine said walking away from the table and into the house.

"I'll go with you," Lydia said following Jasmine into the house. "We'll get the movies as well."

"We have some," Scott said. "Mum loves John Hughes movies."

"Then you'll get them too."

"And I shall sit on the couch like a king while my serfs do my bidding," Stiles said trying to work out how to drink with the ice on his nose.

"I'll find some palm fronds," Monica threw in. "Lydia can I help with anything?"

"Nope," Lydia said. "We're pretty much done. Just waiting for Derek to cook the meat."

"Pies are in the oven," Allison said.

"Buns are cut," Danny said coming outside with the covered bowl.

"Salads are made and potato bake is keeping warm," Lydia said. "So really we are just being let down by our alpha."

"I can kick you out of my pack," Derek threw over his shoulder.

"I'm going to go and get changed then," Allison said.

"Me too," Lydia said as they both disappeared into the house.

"And I'm assuming you four are just going to continue to strut around shirtless like a batch of swimsuit models." Stiles said snarkily while Jackson and Danny grinned at him.

"I know you only wanted me for my body," Jackson said flexing.

"Ow," Stiles groaned. "Don't make me laugh it hurts."

"Sorry," Jackson said not looking at all apologetic until Derek caught his eye and he bowed his head with a grimace. "I came with enough meat for dinner," he said in apology.

"It's fine Jackson don't stress," Stiles said watching the tense lines of Derek's back. "You know how Derek gets when one of us gets hurt."

Jackson muttered something Stiles couldn't hear and refused to repeat it regardless of how nicely Stiles threatened.

Derek started plating the steaks while Danny and Lydia brought the last of the food from inside. Like breakfast Stiles was baffled at the sheer amount of food on the table.

Even though Stiles knew there was nothing wrong with anything but his nose his entire face now felt like a giant throbbing ache so he plated up some of his potato bake, some of Lydia's coleslaw and potato salad, anything that he didn't need to put any effort into chewing. When Stiles looked up Derek was watching him closely his eyes tight and questioning.

"My face hurts," Stiles muttered eating some hot, creamy potato while Derek continued to watch him instead of piling his own plate. "Eat."

Derek huffed but started filling his plate before sitting next to Stiles.

After they'd eaten Monica went inside and came back with a couple of pills and a glass of water.

"This is the good stuff which is why you needed to eat first," Monica said. "It will make you a little loopy."

"Loopy like I'm going to hit on Jackson or loopy like I'm going to see dead people who don't know they're dead?"

Monica laughed. "Probably just loopy in staring blankly and napping but I won't rule anything out."

"You can hit on me," Lydia said with a grin.

"I don't need the pills for that though."

"Hey!" Jackson said throwing a roll before he thought. Derek reached out and plucked it from the air in front of Stiles' head with a low, fierce growl. "Sorry Stiles I forgot."

"All good," Stiles said dragging the roll out of Derek's hand and pushing him back into his chair. Stiles threw the roll back to Jackson with a smile.

Derek sent Danny and Scott inside with the dirty dishes and told Jackson to put the food away. All three jumped up to do his bidding while Stiles asked Monica about her residency. He hadn't realised she was a doctor until today.

"I'm doing my residency in obstetrics and I'm two years in," Monica said. "I love it, all the little babies. I had some difficulty after the bite I was terrified I'd accidently squash something but I adjusted quite well."

"So," Allison said looking back at the door. "Childbirth, how horrid is it?"

Monica laughed. "It really depends on the person but I have yet to see a mum who doesn't think it was worth it when they are holding their baby. I'm sure there are some but I haven't seen it yet."

Allison nodded and continued loudly when Scott came back out of the door. "How did you learn to set noses."

Monica bit down on her bottom lip and grinned while she answered. "I had a rotation in the ER as part of my internship, I really enjoyed it but then I got to the obstetrics rotation and I was decided. If I had had to leave this residency I'd have gone back to the ER."

"I thank you for your love of people hurting themselves," Stiles said finding it much easier to drink without the ice pack on his face.

Monica came over to have a look at his face again. "Oh it's going to swell beautifully and you are probably going to have a couple of stunningly black eyes."

"Oh the wonders of being human," Stiles said before patting his pockets. "I need to call my dad. Do you have your mobile Derek?"

Derek who was still shirtless and wearing his bathers shook his head.

"Are you going to growl at me if I go inside and find mine?"

Derek glared at him before Stiles stood and went inside completely ignoring Scott and Danny who were stacking the dirty dishes on the bench and Jackson who was shoving the food into the fridge with no thought to the size of the dishes or whether his tower of plates would fall. Stiles knew he'd fix it when everyone disappeared later. That was of course assuming that Derek didn't force them to fix it before he went to meet Stiles' dad.

Stiles found his phone in his bag sitting at the end of the bed in the room he'd claimed when they'd rebuilt the house. He shared a wall with Derek's room and one with Lydia's. He left the rest of his clothes on the edge of the bed and went downstairs to the sit on the couch while he called his dad.

"Hey dad, no I'm good but umm. Dad I'm fine. Okay so I'm not completely fine Lydia beat me up and I've got a broken nose. No, we were playing volleyball in the pool and I slipped and bashed my head on her knee. No, one of Derek's guests is a doctor and she put it back in place. No she gave me good drugs too. Derek is making me stay until you are home at least. I'll be home later, yeah give me a call when you get home. No he'll insist. He's all growly and protective. Yes he is still coming. What is the meeting about? Of course it's my business, everything is. Dad stop laughing. Fine, fine. I'll see you later. Bye dad."

Stiles hung up and slumped back into the chair. He could feel the medication working. He didn't want to move, he just wanted to curl up on the couch and sleep for a little while. Maybe he'd go up to his bed and go to sleep. Stiles closed his eyes and relaxed. The couch dipped next to him but Stiles couldn't bring himself to open his eyes.

"You need to put the ice on," Derek said next to him.

Stiles lifted a hand and Derek gently placed the ice on his nose before Stiles held it in place. "So tired."

"Go upstairs and lay down."

Stiles shook his head. "Comfortable here."

"Well then just relax," Derek said not moving.

Stiles nodded slowly and let himself float for a while. Later, much later, he felt the couch shift again and Derek quietly told him he was going to his meeting with the sheriff. Stiles waved him away tiredly after Derek had pried the ice out of his hand. Stiles stayed there while Lydia and Jackson came in to tell him that they were leaving moments before Scott and Allison went as well. Danny came in with a book and sat with Stiles who had given up all pretence of sitting and was propped up on some cushions lying out on the couch.

Sometime later Stiles woke up and needed a drink. He pulled himself up from the chair Danny no longer sitting where he had been before. Stiles stretched out and grabbed the bag of water from the table taking it into the kitchen with him. The dishes had been put in the dishwasher which seemed louder to him than it normally was. He checked the fridge and Jackson's gravity defying packing was still in place. Stiles pulled everything out making himself another plate of his potato bake and throwing it into the microwave. Stiles restacked the fridge giving them a lot more space than they'd had before and lowering the chances of someone being crushed by the plates as they opened the door.

"You're awake," Jasmine said from the kitchen doorway.

"I am," Stiles said putting some of Lydia's amazing coleslaw on his plate as well before tucking it back into the fridge with the rest of the food. He pulled his mobile out of his pocket and sent Derek a message asking him to get more bread so they could have some with dinner. "Do you know where Danny is?"

"He is showing Monica and John the lake, they wanted to go for a walk and Danny was nice enough to suggest it and said he'd show them where it was. Apparently it's a great walk."

Stiles nodded as his phone beeped. "It is a lovely walk." Derek had replied that he would get the bread and then told Stiles off for having opened the fridge door. Stiles pulled a glass down from the cupboard to get a drink his back to Jasmine.

"I've been watching you Stiles." Jasmine said coming in close and talking from just behind him. "You're in love with him, silly little human." She ran a finger down Stiles' neck making him jerk away.

Stiles knew he was alone in the house and his discomfort settled around him like a blanket but she had done nothing but insult him and ridicule him so he turned to face her with a deep breath. "No I'm not."

"Yes you are. You get hard every time he is close. I can smell the lust all over you. It's pathetic, and you know he can smell it too. He's a werewolf. He can smell your need coming off you in waves and has he ever made a move?"

Stiles refused to answer, tried to steady the heart that was beating too fast at the thought of Derek smelling the arousal Stiles felt whenever he was near the werewolf. Tried to ignore the sick feeling given to him by the idea that Derek might know.

"He likes women you know, we used to date. I used to ride him for hours. Werewolves have amazing stamina. Why would he want a human when he could fuck a werewolf?"

"I am not interested in him like that."

"Yes you are, your eyes track him, you get him things because you know he will want them even if he doesn't already and he's just using you. His little deluded omega who cooks and cleans and begs to be fucked but is happy just to moon over him. Why on earth would he want you? You're scrawy." She grabbed his arm in a tight hold making him almost gasp but he bit down hard on his lip to keep it in. "You are sick, I can smell the medication all over you, and you have done your research haven't you Stiles, even if he wanted to fuck a guy he's pick someone healthy. Alphas only mate with the strongest, healthiest person. Survival of the fittest and you are not the fittest. He's probably pick Lydia of any of your little pathetic pack. She's strong and tough, I bet he'd love to bend her over and fuck her, I bet he's thought about it too. Maybe he already is and is hiding it from you. To keep you in here, in his kitchen fetching drinks for everyone while he sits in there and does nothing."

"I am not in love with Derek." Stiles said swallowing thickly.

"I can hear your heartbeat Stiles, you are a shit liar, but then again I've yet to see anything you are good at."

Stiles stood just a little straighter and looked Jasmine in the eye. "You think he'd prefer to come back to you?"

"You have no idea what we had."

"If he wanted you why aren't you in his bed now?"

"I'm not an easy fuck Stiles, unlike you, when he and I mate again I will be a part of his pack and trust me you will be a thing of the past and those little betas will learn how to act like real werewolves. They will hunt and eat as they should. They will bathe in the glory of being a werewolf and they will stop looking to you like you are anything but a pathetic human trying so hard to be part of a world where you do not belong."

"I am part of this pack."

"Really?" Jasmine asked grabbing his wrist and yanking it around until he could see his tattoo. "Because of this?"

Stiles was silent looking at Derek's mark on his wrist. Jasmine's fingers tightened around his upper arm pulling his eyes back to hers.

"Did Derek give it to you? Did Derek ask you to bear his mark or did you decide to do it yourself? Did you push yourself into his pack with the delusion that he wants you here, that if you just keep waiting he'll drag you up to his room and devour you, lay you out on his bed and make you feel good. Has he ever, ever made you think he'd want you? I cannot see it, I've been watching him and you are nothing to him, nothing of worth, not even worth a cheap fuck."

"I think of the two of us you were the cheap fuck, scratching an itch under the full moon." Stiles said his patience snapping.

Jasmine yanked his arm making him yelp in pain. "If you think that then why hasn't he bent you over and used you like the piece of easy arse you are, after all what good are you. Cook, clean and fuck is about all you're worth but you're not good enough for him to fuck."

Stiles took a steading breath and asked politely. "Let me go."

Jasmine sneered but then cocked her head. "I'll be sure to check it out Stiles." She said brightly with a smile and walked out Jackson coming in from the other direction.

"Stiles dude, you're up." Jackson smiled then paused. "You okay?"

"Fine. I suddenly need to go to the bathroom desperately. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Before Jackson could even agree Stiles was past him and through the house to the bathroom, Jackson didn't even think about the fact he'd gone to the upstairs one until Lydia came into the kitchen behind him.

"Where is Stiles?" Lydia asked dumping her bags on the kitchen table. "I saw Jasmine and she looked annoyed."

"Fuck," Jackson said. "She was in here with Stiles when I came in."

Lydia span and headed out of the room following Stiles' scent.

Stiles was walking down the stairs when she was about to walk up looking for him. He looked okay but there was something around his mouth that made her want to wrap him in her arms and hold him until Jasmine left. Stiles quirked his lips at her and continued down.

Lydia opened her mouth to say something just as the door opened behind her and Scott and Allison came stomping in laughing about something. Danny, Monica and John coming in from the other direction making just as much noise.

Monica looked at Stiles then down at her watch. "Time for more medication, you need to eat something first."

"I-"

"Here," Jackson said coming into the room. "You'd already made a plate."

Stiles reached for the plate but Jackson shook his head and pointed back to the living room.

"Can you get him some more ice too?" Monica asked following Stiles.

Stiles had just sat down and taken his first bite when the door opened again and Derek walked in bypassing all of his pack to come into the lounge room and sit next to Stiles.

"You don't look good, what did you do?"

"I made sure the fridge wouldn't collapse," Stiles said chewing his food slowly not at all hungry anymore.

"He'll be fine," Monica said. "Once he's eaten I'll give him another pill."

Derek nodded but didn't move watching Stiles eat every bite the rest of the pack settling around them. Lydia watched him closely but Stiles just smiled at her after swallowing the tablet and got comfortable with the ice pack. Stiles fell asleep halfway through 'The Breakfast Club' and woke up just in time to see Ferris sing but he dozed again between running the car backwards and Baby falling in love with Johnny.

"We are going to have another training session tomorrow." Derek said before anyone left. "You'll all be here tomorrow at 9?" Derek's eyes were looking around the room. Everyone nodded.

"I'll stay home and nurse my nose," Stiles said yawning.

"You can't drive," Derek said.

"I'll drive him," Scott said pulling Stiles' keys from his pocket before the other man could react.

"Take this in the morning but only after food," Monica said handing him one last tablet.

Stiles nodded and tucked the pill into his pocket. "We still on for our discussion from yesterday?"

"I don't know," Derek said watching him closely. "What do you think?"

"Should be fine but I'll call you."

Derek nodded with a frown.

"We'd better go." Stiles said with another yawn heading out of the door.

"I'll walk you to the car." Derek said falling into step beside Stiles.

"Goodbye guys," Stiles said the rest of the pack echoing him.

"Night Stiles." Jasmine said watching them both leaving the room.

Derek saw him to the car and told Scott to call when he got home and to make sure Stiles got in and that the sheriff was there.

"And tomorrow I shall make myself a dress of silk and wait in the tower for my prince," Stiles said with a smirk.

"I know you are not a damsel in distress Stiles but you are drugged and have a head wound."

"It's fine," Stiles said with a smile resting his hand on Derek's elbow before he swayed forward and gave him a hug. "Always so warm," he muttered as he climbed into the car.

"I'll look after him Derek, see you tomorrow."

Derek waited until they were gone before he went back inside, said goodnight to Jasmine as he passed and went up to his room.

**TBC...**


	12. Part 11 – Ambushing Assumptions

**Part 11 – Ambushing Assumptions**

At 8am Allison called Stiles. "Hey Stiles, we still on for today?"

"Definitely," Stiles said stretching out in bed. "I'll come and pick you up at 9 which should be just enough time to get to the movie."

Allison grinned at Scott who was pouting as he pulled on clothes. "I think we should go and have breakfast first. Maybe at Luke's?"

"Oh his omelette," Stiles said with a moan. "I'll come and get you in a half hour?"

"Excellent."

"How much is Scott pouting?"

"Oh so much," Allison said with a laugh. "More so now that he knows we are going to Luke's."

"I'll buy him a doughnut."

"When you get me doughnuts from Luke's I get nothing but crumbs," Scott yelled down the phone from the other side of the room.

Stiles laughed. "Tell Scott he's already late and I'll see you in thirty minutes."

"See you then Stiles."

"Bye," Stiles hung up the phone and dragged himself out of bed.

/ / / \ \ \

Ten minutes later Scott arrived at Derek's house to find Jackson, Danny and Lydia already there waiting for him on the porch.

"So he really didn't come?" Lydia asked sipping her coffee slowly.

Scott shook his head. "He and Allison are going to Luke's for breakfast and then to a movie."

"Bastards," Danny muttered.

"Where is Derek?" Scott asked.

"Oh he knows you are late," Lydia said with a grin. "He and John are out setting something up."

"Do we know what we are doing today?" Jackson asked.

"All we know for sure is that it is something we haven't done before." Lydia said.

Scott sighed. "Is there coffee?"

"Jasmine is in there," Danny said with a sigh. "Do we know what she said to Stiles yesterday?"

"I asked him on the way home," Scott said. "Just more crap about her wanting Derek and disliking Stiles. Said it was nothing to worry about but if one of us felt the overwhelming urge to maul her today he wouldn't tell them off."

His other pack mates laughed as Monica came out of the house. "Coffee?"

Scott smiled at her and grabbed one of the mugs off the tray in her hands. "If you give her coffee Lydia will roll over so you can rub her belly. Ow! Fuck Lydia."

Lydia smiled at him sweetly and thanked Monica for the coffee.

Ten minutes later Derek and John came out of the woods together discussing something so quietly the rest of the wolves couldn't eavesdrop.

"I'll get Jasmine," John said going inside leaving everyone else.

"So what are we doing?" Scott asked.

"When we are all together I will explain," Derek answered.

John and Jasmine came out of the house not long after, Jasmine sitting next to Lydia while John went down the steps to join Derek turning to address the group.

"We are going to do a team session today." Derek said.

"We are going to break up and be in two teams there will be an alpha per team and three betas. We have each planted a flag somewhere around the forest. The flags have been scented to make sure they can be found since we will not be saying where they are." John continued.

"I planted mine and John planted his, the teams are as follows. With me are Jasmine, Jackson and Scott. John will have Monica, Lydia and Danny." Derek added. "You are going after the other team's flag."

"The objective is to scent and track the flag," John continued. "Derek said the three of you have done that before though apparently you were tracking Stiles and Allison instead."

Derek's four betas laughed.

"Why is that funny?" John asked.

"Stiles found out that if he bathes in wolfbane then we can't scent him. No one found him and he was sitting up in a tree. Just before dark he started throwing stones at Scott who got to 'find' him. When he came down he had a book with him." Danny explained. "Derek got so frustrated that he couldn't find Stiles he pouted for the rest of the night. Stiles had to make him his triple chocolate brownies to make him stop."

"I do not pout," Derek said letting his eyes flash.

"And yet you did," Lydia said. "So we are tracking a flag you've peed on."

"Lydia," Derek said firmly. "We scented it."

"You say scented," Lydia said with a smirk. "But you mean peed on."

Derek turned to the rest of the group ignoring Lydia. "The first wolf to find the flag needs to howl so we know the game is over. You'll need to bring it back with them and everyone can meet back here."

"We will have one minute to confer before we start." John watched as the two teams formed in front of him as he spoke.

"There will be an added obstacle. Until one of you finds it, I am not telling you what it is." Derek grinned and his pack recognised the malicious glint in his eye.

Both teams separated to discuss before Derek and John set out sniffing the air trying to pick up a scent.

/ / / \ \ \

Monica swore as a balloon full of neon green paint exploded on her chest right over her heart. "That hurt."

"Are you okay?" Lydia asked looking around.

"Fine, well down a shirt but other than that I'm okay. What was that?"

"I smell a Stiles," Lydia said looking up at the trees around them.

"I don't smell anything." Monica said looking around.

"No, but it was him, he could be anywhere. He's dangerous with a rifle." Lydia looked around. "And he bathed in wolfsbane again. This is the extra obstacle isn't it?"

"He is going to be picking us off one by one. Head shots you are out of the game, heart shots you need to drop and stay for ten minutes, all other wounds involve a two minute downtime. Three body hits and you're out of the game completely. You need to go back to the house. He needs to give you a five minute leeway between hits," John called out across the woods between himself and Lydia.

Monica laughed and threw herself onto the ground. "I like Stiles more and more. I couldn't even smell him. Shooting us with a broken nose."

"Stiles is awesome." Lydia agreed. "And scary as hell with a gun."

Lydia and John ran on ahead to get out of the way of the rifle leaving Monica to drop to the ground for ten minutes. Laying there she tried to find patterns in the clouds until she heard a twig snap, she twisted her head to look and found Stiles waving at her with a grin before he disappeared back into the trees.

"That was Stiles with a gun wasn't it?" Danny asked running past her. "Oh shit he's out with his rifle isn't he?"

Monica nodded.

"Derek is an evil bastard."

Monica laughed as Danny continued on separated from the rest of the pack trailing other scents looking for the flag.

/ / / \ \ \

Scott turned to Jackson and opened his mouth just before he felt something hit him in the middle of the chest. He looked down and his shirt directly over his heart was covered in bright blue paint. "Allison!"

Derek stepped in front of him and picked up the arrow from the ground in front of Scott and grinned. "She is hunting us, if she hits you on the head you are automatically out, if she hits you on the heart you need to lie out for ten minutes, if she hits you anywhere else you have to lay out for two minutes. Three shots no matter where they hit you on your body you need to leave the game entirely and go back to the house."

"Stiles is out with his gun too isn't he," Jackson said his body deflating. "We are all going to be shot in the forehead."

"It's only Stiles," Jasmine said at the same time as Derek confirmed Jackson's suspicions. Jackson looked at her and after sharing a smile with Scott he started off Scott staying where he was for his ten minutes out.

/ / / \ \ \

Jasmine was separated from the rest of her team. Derek had sent them all off in separate directions hoping that one of them would pick up the scent.

She assumed Scott was still lying on the ground after his little human girlfriend shot him. Jasmine was transformed and scenting the air but she never even smelt it coming. A whistle on the breeze the only indication anything was occurring before a bolt of pain laced her chest, a thwack moments later in the tree next to her. Jasmine looked down at her chest blood red paint dripping down her clean white tank top. Stiles. She turned to look at the tree next to her an arrow sticking out of the bark a note attached to it.

_Watch your back Jasmine_

Jasmine lifted her head and scented the air. She couldn't smell anything. Another whistle on the air and the tree in front of her had an arrow buried in the wood.

_You are not going to find us Jasmine_

Jasmine growled at the air knowing Stiles and Allison would be able to hear her.

/ / / \ \ \

John caught the scent of something; he tilted his head and filled his lungs with air. It was faint and far away. With a deep breath he allowed the change to continue until he was completely alpha his eyes blood red as he sniffed the air. A whistle made his ears twitch and he turned just as his left ribs started to sting. He turned his head and stared at the distance where the noise had come from. He could see no movement, could smell nothing. With a low growl he allowed himself to change back to his human body. He looked at his ribs covered in bright green paint an arrow on the ground next to him.

"It seemed like such a good idea at the time," John muttered to himself as he dropped to the ground.

/ / / \ \ \

Stiles was recounting the list of mythical creatures from the textbook he'd been reading the night before when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Derek's team had separated but Jackson and Scott were standing together discussing something both of them pointing in different directions. They were obviously arguing about the direction of the flags, Stiles smiled, he'd come across both of the flags when he and Allison were moving around the woods to catch different wolves. He shouldn't be mean to either of them since Scott was already sporting a paint mark. Obviously Allison had already hit him but they were both being incredibly noticeable that he pulled his gun to his shoulder and sighted Jackson before taking a deep breath, tightening his hold on the branch for the recoil and squeezed the trigger on the out breath. Stiles could see Jackson swear before he sighted Scott and repeated the actions to hit him as well just a little to the right of Allison's mark.

"Stiles you suck!" Scott yelled out as they both dropped down to the ground still arguing.

Stiles laughed silently waiting until they had finished their ten minutes and then scurried down the tree to find himself another spot to shoot his friends from.

/ / / \ \ \

Allison sighted Lydia with the string of her bow pressed to her lips. She knew Lydia would be annoyed that she shot her but that was what made it fun. She took a deep breath, sighted carefully and let the string go her arrow sailing through the air a little more heavily than normal with the ball of paint at the tip.

The arrow hit Lydia just above the line of her singlet staining her skin with bright purple paint. Lydia flipped the air around her off before she looked around her area until she found a fallen tree she could perch on to keep her off the ground.

Allison dropped silently from the tree so pleased that Stiles did his research and knew how to keep them off the werewolves' radars. She started in the opposite direction from Lydia looking for a good tree to climb. She didn't normally shoot from up in them when she picked them off for training but Stiles had suggested it this time to keep them from the wolves. Allison suspected it had more to do with Jasmine being one of the wolves than him being worried about them actually catching him.

Allison looked around to see if anyone was in the area before she could sling her bow over her back to climb the tree. She turned around and spotted movement, she swung the bow around and nocked her arrow, slid into her stance and took aim. Danny froze when he saw the movement but before he could react she let the air out of her lungs and let the arrow go. He was close enough that the warning kept him from being able to get away. The paint exploded onto the skin of Danny's abdomen running in rivulets over his defined muscles. He swore and dropped to the ground before Allison turned and walked away to find another tree.

As far as she knew they couldn't be injured by the wolves but it was easier to sneak attack them when they couldn't smell the linger scent of paint or in her case see the spent arrow. She found a new tree and climbed up quickly before settling on a low branch out of sight.

/ / / \ \ \

Stiles was waiting for Jasmine.

When Derek had pulled him aside two nights ago to suggest this lovely day of ambushing his pack Stiles had been more than happy to do it. They were holed up in Derek's study and Derek laid out the plan. The werewolves would break into two packs for a tracking exercise and Stiles would lay in wait to shoot them. Stiles had brought Allison into the plan since there would be two teams, they'd spent almost three hours that night talking about the activity and then talking about nothing at all.

Yesterday after Jasmine had cornered him in the kitchen, and the bruise from that was spectacular and quite annoying when he was trying to pick his friends off one by one, Stiles decided that this was the perfect opportunity to show Jasmine exactly why Stiles was not the human to mess with. In hand to hand battle he couldn't fight a werewolf, not that he hadn't tried and lived before and wouldn't try again but with a gun in his hand Jasmine was nothing more than another moving target. Stiles wouldn't tell Derek about her actions because nothing could force him to take this time away from Derek but that didn't mean he had to stand by and take it now that she had progressed from verbal bullying to physical threats. The full moon was tomorrow night so John and his pack would be gone soon. Stiles was going to miss Monica and John, he'd thoroughly enjoyed getting to know some different werewolves but he would really enjoy watching Jasmine leave.

Jasmine's first shot had been planned by he and Allison at breakfast to pass on a message. Allison didn't know what had happened with Jasmine the day before but like all the pack barring Derek she knew that Jasmine was not being polite and courteous to Stiles. Allison had suggested the messages when Stiles told her that he intended to make sure Jasmine was the only werewolf who was shot out of this game. She could keep telling herself that she was going to try and take over the pack but Stiles knew for a fact that if it came down to it the betas would fight for him, might even leave Derek. Not Jackson, who would never leave Derek given the older man had given Jackson a sense of belonging that he had never had before but Scott might just leave the pack for him. Stiles wasn't worried because he knew with certainty Derek would never ever ask him to leave the pack. The night Stiles had broken his wrist Derek had said it, if Stiles ever chose to leave he could but Derek wasn't going to kick him out and the woman Derek ended up with would have one hell of a fight on her hands if she thought she could kick Stiles out of his pack. Stiles didn't worried about his place in the pack anymore. Jasmine was a just picking on Stiles because he and Derek spent so much time together and she had probably noticed Stiles' feelings which he had to admit might be obvious to everyone but Derek…thankfully.

Finally Jasmine moved in the direction of the fake scent John had left. Stiles grinned, pulled his rifle up to his shoulder and took his shot.

Jasmine was hit in the back, over her heart. Stiles smiled at the perfect shot. Her next one would have to be a head shot. He watched with glee as the werewolf sat down on the ground.

/ / / \ \ \

Allison lined John up in her sights and let the string go watching for the explosion of paint which overlapped her last mark. She grinned at the sight of the alpha dropping to the ground. Her father would be so proud, except of course for the fact the alpha wasn't dead.

She understood that not all werewolves were Scott or Derek or Lydia but they were not all Peter either and her father and now her grandfather seemed completely blind to that fact. She couldn't wait to get back to university so that things could return to normal. They could go back to talking about her coursework and her roommates instead of the fact she was ruining a generations long legacy and how her boyfriend would one day rip her to shreds in the throes of a full moon caused blood hunger. Or, you know, during sex as her mother had so mortifyingly pointed out during one of their interventions.

Allison sighed and pushed the thoughts from her head taking aim at Monica who'd come over to mock John. She hit Monica in the leg since there really was no reason to stop her from gloating at her boyfriend. Allison was a firm believer in busting your partner's chops in situations like this one.

/ / / \ \ \

Stiles smirked as he lined Jasmine up in his sights, he had made sure he'd only hit her on the body up until now since he didn't want her out of the game too soon. Both hits so far had been to the heart, one in the back and one in the front. Each time she'd growled and started to prowl sniffing the air looking for him but Stiles knew these woods and knew how to evade a wolf. Both times she had eventually been forced into her time out giving up on finding him which amused Stiles to no end as she fumed lying in the dead leaves.

This time he wasn't going to be so nice, she was out regardless so he lined it up, took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger on the exhale hitting her smack in the middle of the forehead with a bright red paint pellet. Stiles bit his lip to keep from laughing, probably this was going to just piss her off more but hopefully the fact that Stiles was not nearly as weak as she assumed would also sink into her thick skull.

Stiles wasn't as careful about being quiet this time moving so a twig snapped and revealed his position. Jasmine's eyes snapped to his, he smiled at her big and wide while waving. She growled and started for him but Stiles wasn't very worried about her. Seconds passed before she stalked by Derek who looped around and reminded her that the house was in the other direction, head shot meant she was out. Jasmine glared at him one last time baring her teeth before turning and heading back to the house. Derek waved to Stiles with a smile before he took off at a run. Stiles took aim and hit him on the left arse cheek before he made it out of range. Stiles laughed at his growl as he dropped to the ground.

/ / / \ \ \

Jasmine wrenched the door open and stalked into the bathroom to wash the paint off her face. Written on the bathroom mirror in garish red marker was a message.

_'Jasmine, I might be Derek's pathetic little omega but I can kill you without you even knowing I'm there. Remember that bitch. ~Stiles'_

Jasmine growled and slammed her fist down on the counter before rubbing the words away so she could wash the bright red paint from her forehead.

/ / / \ \ \

John's team captured Derek's flag not long after Jasmine was forced off the field. Danny's howl split the air and all the wolves returned to the house. Jackson was the last person to arrive and with a low whistle every member of the wolf packs was suddenly hit in the stomach by either a bullet or arrow.

"Stiles," Derek yelled. "The game is over."

"Yeah but shooting you all is fun," Stiles yelled back.

"That why you shot Derek in the arse?" Lydia called out as Stiles suddenly appeared from the branch of a tree dropping down to the ground Allison dropping from the tree on the other side of the clearing after him.

"I thought about a smiley face but you were only allowed to be shot three times before you were out."

"I cannot believe you shot me," Scott said when Allison came to stand next to him.

"You would have painted a smiley face on my backside?" Derek asked Stiles.

"You don't get special treatment just because you're my man," Allison said kissing him before she broke down her bow.

"Of course I would have," Stiles said. "I would have painted a smiley face on everyone's arse if I could have done it without getting you all out. Instead I stuck to heart shots, and one head shot."

"Yes, I saw Jasmine," Derek said.

"You hit Jasmine in the head?" Lydia asked slinging an arm around Stiles' shoulders.

"I should have a look at your nose if you've been scurrying in and out of trees," Monica said biting her lip to hold in a smile.

Jasmine came to the door when she heard them all outside, she was wearing new clothes and a forced smile.

"I think you were the only person 'killed' little sis," John said slinging an arm around her.

"Apparently," Jasmine said looking at Stiles whose back was to her as Monica poked at his nose.

**TBC...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only 2/3 parts left. Having such fun.
> 
> My assignments are not finished but they are making me SUPER stressed and depressed so I decided to post instead.


	13. Keeping Secrets From Blood Sniffing Hounds

**Part 12 – Keeping Secrets From Blood Sniffing Hounds**

Stiles went home after the training session his nose aching and the pain killers from earlier that morning doing little to help. Lydia climbed into his passenger seat and grinned at him. Stiles wasn't able to convince her that he was in fact fine and going home for a nap didn't require a chaperone. Lydia rolled her eyes, pulled the seatbelt over her chest and studiously ignored his grumbling.

Stiles drove back to his house. Lydia followed him inside and walked up to Stiles' room before he could. She pulled her shirt off over her head and started searching through his drawers. He was reminded of the day years ago when Derek had been shirtless and looking in the exact same drawer. If Danny had been straight that afternoon would have turned out very differently. Stiles enjoyed the view so much that he knew Lydia would be the perfect bait for dragging information out of someone else, someone interested in women, if the situation ever arose.

"Enjoying the show?" Lydia asked pulling out a shirt that she was happy with finally.

"You took your shirt off in front of me not my fault."

Lydia smiled at him. "You reek of tree, are you going to change?"

Stiles sniffed at himself and noticed the smear of sap along his leg. He nodded and started to undo his pants not wanting Lydia to see his bruises. He let his pants fall to the floor and realised Lydia was staring at him quite intently. "Enjoying the show?"

"Not my fault you're stripping in front of me, but your striptease needs a little work before you give Derek the show."

Stiles threw his pants at Lydia but she sidestepped out of the way and plucked them from the air dropping them in Stiles' dirty clothes basket. "I'm not planning on giving Derek the show."

"I know," Lydia said with a sigh. "Do you want to sleep?"

Stiles shook his head. "We'll watch something since you are keeping my company."

"I don't mind hanging while you nap."

Stiles smiled at her as he pulled some loose, comfortable pants on. "I told you I'm fine, after all I spent the morning shooting you all."

"I cannot believe Derek asked you to do that after I broke your nose."

"We had sorted it out before I hurt myself, that night I stayed late he suggested it," Stiles said. "I was fine but it started aching after a while. Just the pain medication wearing off."

"Do you have anymore?"

"One more," Stiles said grabbing it from his bedside table. "After that Monica said normal pain medication would be fine and if it's not to go to see my doctor since I might need an x-ray."

"You need to eat," Lydia said. "Come downstairs and I'll make you something."

"Okay," Stiles said waiting for her to leave the room before grabbing a shirt from his drawer, changing and following her downstairs.

"I'll make you my special omelette."

Stiles smiled and sat down to watch her move around his kitchen. "Are you sure you want to risk it?"

Lydia poked her tongue out at him as she started dicing things to go into the omelette. "I don't cook for the masses."

"Our pack isn't the masses."

"They certainly are given the way they eat."

Stiles laughed with her. "You eat just as much."

Lydia looked at him horrified. "I do not! And even if I did I do so in a much less feral way."

Stiles nodded and dropped his head down onto his folded arms watching her move. "I like watching you cook, one of my favourite things to do when I come and visit."

"When are you coming again?"

"Hopefully sometime during semester," Stiles said. "I'll have to look at my schedule. You gonna let me meet Logan properly this time?"

"Nope."

"Lydia if you like him I want to meet him."

"I don't like him," Lydia said her body tightening as she flipped the pan to coat everything in some of the butter she'd already melted. Stiles wanted to pull her close into a tight hug but Logan's lack of interest while not definite still stung and she wasn't ready to even admit that she was hurt.

"He's your friend I want to meet your friends," Stiles said to change the meaning of his earlier words before he changed the topic. "Can we crash some lectures again?"

"So you can write insane answers to questions and give them to the lecturer hoping to make them smile?"

Stiles nodded. "That's my plan."

"Then yes of course we can."

Stiles smiled and relaxed now that her body was soft and fluid again the tension from before lost. He continued to watch her but he didn't bother talking just enjoyed the comfortable silence.

When Lydia was done she rinsed everything in the sink and piled it on the side. She walked straight past Stiles and into the lounge room. He grabbed a bottle of lemonade and a couple of glasses and followed her in.

"Perfect," she said when he poured her a glass. "Eat."

"Thanks Lydia," Stiles said pressing his hand to her knee.

"My pleasure," she said picking up her own plate. "For you I will cook."

Stiles took it as the compliment it was. Even after all this time, even knowing that the pack would accept her for what she felt like hiding from the world, her brains, her strength she still hid parts of herself from people. Stiles still didn't understand her desire for people to think she couldn't cook, for people to think she was bad with kids when she went down to the hospital near her to read to children at least once a month, for them to think things about her that were not true. She hid things she felt made her vulnerable but they had always been the things Stiles had loved about her the most. He was incredibly happy to know that she trusted him enough to know the things she hid, at least some of them. He just hoped one day she'd stop hiding so much of herself.

Stiles finished eating the amazing omelette that he would be thinking about for weeks wanting another one, he knew that even before he'd started but couldn't help himself anyway. He downed the pill and relaxed onto the chair after handing Lydia the remote.

Stiles didn't remember falling asleep but he woke with his head on a pillow in Lydia's lap and Derek's voice quiet in the doorway.

"Hey," Stiles pulled himself up and closed his eyes for a moment against the light headed feeling that gripped him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm good," Stiles said with a smile. "Just still a little funny in the head."

Derek frowned. "I shouldn't have let you hide out in trees."

"Let me?" Stiles asked.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Fine, so you would have done whatever you wanted regardless but maybe you shouldn't have come."

"It was fun," Stiles said with a grin. "I love shooting you all. Makes me feel all powerful and reminds you all that I'm not all helpless and human."

Lydia let out a bark of laughter. "Helpless? Jesus Stiles you are the most terrifying member of our little family."

Derek sighed and nodded. "I am offended at the implication and I also know it's somewhat true."

"Oh of course you are the biggest and the scariest Derek."

Derek stared at her.

"Right, I'm going to the little girl's room while you two chat."

Derek waited for Lydia to leave the room before he took a seat on one of the other chairs. "Tomorrow is the full moon."

"I know," Stiles reached for his drink and frowned at the fact it was empty. "Do you want a drink?"

"Water?"

Stiles nodded and walked away.

He knew that his warning to Jasmine would not be allowed to stand without some retaliation. He knew his pack was in control, they'd spent years working on it but the full moon was the most dangerous time for a werewolf regardless. If Jasmine was capable of hating him enough for the bruise on his arm then he didn't particularly want to see what she'd do with the excuse of the moon's power behind her. He didn't like to run from a fight but he knew with nothing between them to give him more power she could and probably would hurt him much worse than she had so far. He would like to think she wouldn't attack him but he couldn't honestly believe she wouldn't after he'd baited her. She had been smart so far keeping everything out of Derek's view, his whole pack's view, and he knew that she would continue to do so. When she was gone he'd tell Derek about her, about what she'd been doing. Maybe not everything, he didn't need Derek going all alpha and protective like he had when he'd found out Danny's boyfriend had been cheating on him last time they were visiting. Derek deserved to know what Jasmine was like but only after Derek had had the chance to enjoy talking about Laura with someone who had known her.

He grabbed both glasses and went back into the lounge room.

"Are you going to come out tomorrow?"

"No," Stiles said. "I think it's best if I don't."

Derek frowned but nodded. "Today took a lot out of you."

Stiles gingerly touched his nose. "I think you are supposed to take it easy after breaking your nose."

Derek sipped at his water but didn't say anything for a while. Stiles relaxed back and just waited for Derek to finish thinking about whatever he was mulling over.

"I wish they weren't here," Derek said finally. "It's not the same without all of you there all the time. I know Jasmine can be quite militant with her views on being a werewolf and she put a lot of you off at the start."

"We're just happy you are spending time with friends," Stiles said sitting forward. "John and Monica are great."

"I was always closer to John than Jasmine," Derek said. "He was always so calm and stable. I needed that when we were in New York. I wasn't coping well."

"But you and Jasmine," Stiles found his hand rolling at the wrist as he found himself unsure how to finish that sentence.

Derek nodded and stared down at his feet. "One really, really stupid full moon. Laura was so disappointed in me. She always said you should never make those types of decisions under the full moon's sway."

"You were young and hurting."

Derek smiled and looked back up at him. "You don't need to do that but thank you."

"Do what?"

"Offer me an excuse. I know it was a bad idea when I did it but…"

Stiles didn't push even if he was incredibly curious about what Derek wanted to say he just sat back and took a drink from his glass. "I am going to hang out here tomorrow. I'll come by the next day though."

Derek nodded and stood up going into the kitchen and when he came out it was without the glass in his hand, his keys in their place. "Look after yourself and if you need anything just call."

"Of course but I'm fine."

"I know Stiles but just in case," Derek pressed his hand to Stiles' shoulder before pulling away and smiling down at him. "Lydia you can come out now. I'll see you the day after tomorrow?"

"I'll be there with bells on."

Derek smiled and said his goodbyes before leaving.

Lydia settled next to Stiles on the couch and turned the TV back on. Stiles pulled Lydia close wanting to give her a hug for himself if not for her and settled down to watch whatever made her happy. He wanted to be there tomorrow night, he wanted to go out with his pack like he normally did but he knew this was a better idea and honestly he was tired of having to spend time with Jasmine. He wanted to be there but was relieved to have a day completely and utterly to himself. Lydia stayed until Stiles' dad came home from work and settled on another chair beer in hand. Lydia shook her head and said her goodbyes even as the Sheriff invited her to stay for dinner.

/ / / \ \ \

On the night of the full moon Stiles cleaned the house and made himself a large pot of fried rice and honey chicken. He went to bed early with his laptop and all the illegally downloaded episodes of 'The Vampire Diaries' he hid in a misnamed folder to keep from being mocked mercilessly by Lydia and the rest of his werewolf-y family. Not long after the moon came up flooding his room with washed out white light he could hear distant howls which left him feeling melancholy. He should be out there with them, he might not transform and he might not have super powers but he was always there on the full moon. He turned the volume up on his laptop and focussed on the trials of fake werewolves studiously.

The loud growl startled him awake and Stiles twisted to look at his window while he started reaching under his bed.

Electric blue eyes stared back at him. "Derek?"

He forgot about going for his gun shuffling over on the bed instead. He threw open the window Derek half transformed in front of him looking more like he had when he'd been a beta than when he was in his alpha form.

"Derek, what are you doing here?"

There was a low, mournful howl from the direction of Derek's house and Derek turned to deliver an answering howl that Stiles would swear to his grave did not cause him to half-harden but instead filled him with terror. Terror, he told his body again. He hoped no one ever asked. Derek's growl reverberated throughout Stiles' body making his bones vibrate and his heart beat faster the louder it became.

"Checking on you," Derek growled out looking around the room his eyes settled on Stiles' swollen and bruised nose.

"I'm fine," Stiles said looking back into his room. "I was just watching a movie and keeping my head elevated. I think I'd fallen asleep."

"Sorry," Derek said turning when another howl travelled to them.

"You'd better go, you need to run and hunt and frolic with the rest of the pack."

Derek nodded. "Not the same without you," he said as he leapt from the roof running off into the night. Stiles closed his window leaving it unlocked in case he had any other lupin visitors before he shut down his computer and crawled into bed properly.

/ / / \ \ \

The next morning Stiles arrived early to find Scott and Jackson still asleep upstairs, Danny and Lydia half asleep at the kitchen table staring forlornly at the empty coffee maker.

"I know both of you know how to use the coffee machine so why are you just staring at it?"

"It's so far away," Lydia mumbled. "John and Jasmine kept us out all night. We hunted down three deer and a brace of rabbits. I can still taste blood and I swear there is fur in my teeth."

Stiles took pity on her and started the coffee.

"I love you," Lydia said watching him.

"Love you too babe," Stiles said with a smile.

"You are the most attractive man to have ever stood in front of a gay man," Danny threw in.

Stiles laughed and started unpacking the pastries he'd bought on his way over. "See was that so hard to admit?"

"Oh none of that has meat," Lydia said reaching for a cheery danish.

"I know how much you dislike meat the night after a full moon and I figured last night would be worse."

"Jasmine is bloodthirsty," Danny said in a loud whisper.

Stiles rubbed at his upper arm switching the pot with a mug for whichever of the wolves at the table got to it first.

"Morning Stiles," Derek said coming in the back door. "Are you feeding them coffee?"

"He likes us more than you do," Lydia said with a smile grabbing another danish.

"Did you have a good night last night?" Stiles asked pulling out the croissant he'd bought for Derek and handing it over.

Derek smiled his thanks and nodded. He kept himself behind Stiles' back and slipped some of the money he kept under his cookie jar into Stiles' wallet where it sat on the counter. Stiles never commented on the money that appeared and Derek never brought it up and Stiles kept appearing with food. Derek figured it was a good system.

"Do we have plans for the day?" Derek asked pulling his croissant apart and eating it while his betas slowly came back to life under the power of caffeine.

"It's looking like we might get a storm today," Stiles said. "And it had been so lovely."

"Hey Stiles," Lydia said. "Next year let's go down to Florida for Spring Break."

Stiles turned to her and frowned. "Why?"

"I just have a feeling it would be fun."

Stiles grinned and nodded. "You want to go a little wild?"

Lydia laughed. "I was thinking about it the other night, I was watching an old episode of 'Gilmore Girls' and they went down, seemed like it might be fun."

"Okay," Stiles said. "We inviting anyone else?" Stiles was watching Danny shoving most of his danish into his mouth and chewing like a chipmunk.

Lydia looked at Danny as well and frowned. "No."

Stiles laughed and nodded grabbing his own cup of coffee and sitting next to Derek. "I hear you ate yourselves some bunnies and bambi."

Derek shook his head. "Yes and Lydia complained, loudly, about it."

"Bambi!"

"As werewolves we have to be able to survive off the land if needed. You never know when a hunter is going to try and kill you and you need to evade them for days or longer," Jasmine said coming in.

"So true," Jackson said coming in behind her.

John stepped into the room interrupting Jackson. "We're off, see you later this afternoon." Derek nodded before John and Jasmine left the room.

"Hey Stiles you brought pastries?" Jackson continued when they were out of the room.

"I am the most attractive person to have ever stood in front of a homosexual man," Stiles informed him with a grin handing Jackson a strawberry and custard danish. "Though that could be the fact I made Danny coffee."

"I shall bow before thee as a slave and follow wher'ver you step," Danny said with a surprisingly good English accent.

"Dork," Stiles said.

"I'm going outside," Jackson said.

"Storm is coming," Stiles said.

"I know," Jackson said. "But there just isn't room enough in here for all of us."

Stiles grabbed his coffee and pastry and followed Jackson out of the house because the table Derek had bought was big enough for more than just the pack. Jackson pulled him to the side as soon as they were a reasonable distance away.

"Jasmine is vicious," Jackson said at a whisper. "I know she's only talked up until now but just be careful and don't get into a situation where you are alone with her okay? I know you can handle yourself but let us help?"

Stiles nodded and bumped Jackson with his shoulder. "I promise I'll keep my werewolf guards with me at all times. Lydia mentioned she was bloodthirsty before."

Jackson nodded and relaxed. "It was fucked up the way she went after those animals."

"More vicious than Derek?"

"No," Jackson said. "When Derek has a reason to be vicious he is much worse but she enjoyed the kill."

Stiles opened his mouth to say something but Danny and Lydia came out from the house Derek behind them carrying the bag of pastries and his own cup of tea.

"It is definitely going to be a spectacular storm," Lydia said looking at the sky. "But it's nice out here, not cold."

They all found chairs around the table and settled down.

"Did Allison come over last night?" Stiles asked.

Danny nodded. "She was here when we got back. I'm surprised she hasn't come down. _She_ wasn't up until dawn."

"Oh Danny you can have a nap later," Jackson said patting his friend on the shoulder.

"We always stay out all night on the full moon," Derek reminded him.

"Yes but we don't normally hunt so many animals."

"That is true," Derek said. "You all did really well, proved how strong you all are."

"Praise from our fearless leader," Scott said coming out. "Pastries."

Allison came behind him and firmly pressed two decks of Uno cards on the table. "I figured poker would be a bit vicious the day after the full moon."

"Yes because when we play Uno we are so very considerate of each other and have never had it turn into a knock down drag out fight," Danny said sarcastically.

"True," Allison said. "Fun though. And I couldn't find the normal playing cards."

"Uno it is," Stiles said clapping his hands and reaching for the cards. "I'll deal."

"You cheat," Lydia said grabbing the second deck.

"We all cheat," Danny reminded her. "I'm getting more coffee."

"Can you bring a jug of water?" Stiles asked.

Danny nodded and disappeared inside. When he came out the cards had been dealt and they started the game.

They stopped for lunch only after Lydia stood on the table and declared herself winner and Stiles stole as many cards as he could and sat on them.

"I'm hungry," Stiles said. "Someone feed me or I shall never release the cards."

Lydia climbed down. "Toasted cheese sandwiches for all," she declared and heading into the kitchen.

Stiles stood up but Danny pushed him back down. "We got this."

Jackson stood and went in with them leaving Scott, Allison and Derek to return some order to the table. There were a number of plastic cups on the floor from where people had thrown them in fits of annoyance at the heads of other members of the pack. There was a cushion resting on the barbeque that Danny had been hitting Jackson over the head with after he'd hit him with a 32 card pickup and a cackle of glee. They put the table back in order and Stiles re-shuffled the cards so they could keep playing after lunch.

Lydia came out after they'd finished with new cups and a couple of drinks. She collected the old cups and disappeared back inside.

They came out with more toasted cheese sandwiches than possible.

They ate quietly after Jackson dealt another hand of the game. They played and ate continuing to take the piss out of each other, mock and smack talk until all the sandwiches were gone and they were all full.

A while later when Stiles had played his 'draw four' card and Derek growled at the total that was now sitting in front of him the sky split with thunder as the world around them turned suddenly bright and unreal. Between one breath and the next the sky that was looking dangerous turned completely apocalyptic and the skies opened and dumped rain down on them. Stiles swore and they started in towards the house their clothes soaked in seconds.

"We'll need new cards," Allison said with a laugh as she dropped the ones she'd had clutched in her hand on the counter.

"Okay," Derek said when they were all inside and standing there like drowned rats. "Clothes off in here and get changed, please don't track water through my house."

The werewolves all started undressing much too comfortable around each other without clothes on. Stiles laughed at them all quietly as he began pulling his shirt off. He had made it almost all the way off when he heard the growl. His eyes flicked up and then down to his arm which was now exposed as a vibrant painting of greens, reds, purples and blues. He closed his eyes and swore softly.

"Stiles where did you get that bruise?" Derek asked walking over to Stiles.

"Oh, nowhere you know how easily I bruise." Stiles said attempting to get the wet material back over his head and covering the bruise on his arm again.

"That is a hand mark." Derek said grabbing Stiles' elbow gently and pulling his arm out so he could see the bruise properly.

"Yes." Stiles said as his eyes darted around the rest of the packs' faces. They all looked murderous. "Scott!" Stiles said finally and Derek's turned fierce electric blue eyes on his beta. "I fell, and Scott grabbed me and stopped me from breaking my face but I got a bit of a bruise. All in all better than a completely broken face." Stiles said lying terribly and hoping Derek wouldn't call him on it. Derek turned back to him and Scott glared over his shoulder. Lydia was mouthing 'tell him' over Derek's other shoulder.

"Stiles, why are you lying to me?"

Stiles swallowed heavily. "I'm not?" He finished weakly.

"It's Jasmine." Allison said in a rush. "Sorry Stiles. Sorry."

Derek's face shuttered no expression left but for the tight line of his lips. "Jasmine did this to you?"

Stiles tried to pull away from Derek's hold but even though Derek was not hurting him his fingers would not separate to allow Stiles to get away.

A sound out the front made all the werewolves look up and Stiles used the chance to twist away from Derek and pull the shirt the rest of the way down before moving into the house. He'd made it to the entryway when the door opened revealing Jasmine looking at him. Her eyes took in his drenched clothes and pinched into a sneer before smoothing out when she spotted Derek. Derek marched up behind Stiles grabbed his elbow and pulled him up the stairs ignoring his protests.

Jasmine watched them go. "Where are they going?"

"Upstairs." Lydia started and then paused a second to listen. "Derek's room specifically." Lydia moved over closer to Jasmine. "Can't you hear them?" Lydia repeated the words that all the wolves could hear as though the two men were standing in the room with them. "Stiles take off your shirt."

Lydia grinned at Jasmine whose entire face coloured beet red.

**TBC...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure when the next update will be as I have an assignment due every Friday for the next month. Ridiculous! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy...


	14. Protection, Independence and Revenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy, last offical part :)
> 
> Also, I was chatting with someone and they commented on how old Derek was in this and I felt like clarifying. I have made Derek younger in this than he is in the series so at this point in time Stiles would be about 20 and Derek about 24.
> 
> Also for anyone keeping track I changed the ending of the last part of Apartment because Derek turned creepy and I decided to fix it...now he's sad and pathetic!

**Part 13 – Protection, Independence and Revenge**

Stiles walked away from Derek and turned his stereo on.

"What?" Derek asked.

"I don't like it when the rest of the pack eavesdrops and they will be listening."

"Stiles please take off your shirt," Derek repeated.

With a sad smile at the fact Stiles had been waiting for those words for two years now he sighed and pulled the wet fabric away from his body. He held it loosely in his hand as Derek stared at his arm.

"Who?" Derek asked stepping forward to ghost his fingers along the coloured flesh.

"Jasmine." Stiles said finally a heavy weight flying away with the word.

"When?" Derek's eyes were hard when he caught Stiles' eyes again.

"Two days ago during the day outside with the pool. She came in to talk to me when everyone was out. We had a disagreement."

"About?"

"How pathetic I am."

Derek pulled away and started pacing, all the way to the window and then turned and stalked back. "Stiles."

"I know I'm not Derek. I know I'm not the omega and I know I am part of this pack. She didn't get to me." Stiles said and then laughed. "Besides, she got my message."

"Your message?"

"At the training session where I was up in a tree to tag you guys, you didn't think it was a coincidence that she was the one that got 'killed' did you?"

Derek turned to him with an unreadable expression but Stiles let the smile take over his face.

"You deliberately let everyone else live so that you could send her the message that she shouldn't be fucking with you?" Derek finally asked.

Stiles nodded. "Just a reminder that I might not be able to beat her in hand to hand combat but I am not completely weak. Nothing has happened since."

"But you haven't been here," Derek pointed out his fingers flittering along the bruise again causing a shiver to climb along Stiles' spine.

"Well that is true too. I didn't want to encourage her to retaliate."

Derek sighed and nodded looking around the room then back to Stiles' arm. His face darkened as he looked at the bruises.

"Mostly she was just talking. Comments about me being pathetic because I cook for you guys and I do things for you. Because I look after you all so obviously I'm just a pathetic little omega you are keeping around to do all the crap work for the pack. I just wanted to show her that you don't just keep me around so that Jackson doesn't give the entire pack food poisoning."

Derek laughed. "See when people ask me why I have a human in my pack I should just put a fucking gun in your hands. Or let you plan our next assault, between you and Lydia everyone else has already lost."

"Just wait until the day she decides to take over the pack."

"My attorney already has a letter saying she did it."

Stiles laughed. "Derek, it's fine. I had it under control."

Derek shook his head and started pacing again. "She should not have gotten close enough to do that to you in my house."

"It's not your fault," Stiles said stepping closer to Derek resting a head to his back. "You didn't know."

Derek spun on him. "I should have! You are a member of my pack, you are my responsibility and I couldn't keep you safe here in my own home."

"I didn't tell you and she was very careful not to do anything when anyone else could see or hear anything."

"You should have trusted me enough to tell me."

"I trust you," Stiles said bending to catch Derek's eyes. "You know I trust you but I couldn't say anything. I know what you would have done."

"What would I have done?"

"Put the epic Derek alpha smackdown on her arse."

Stiles barely caught the hint of a smile on Derek's lips before it was gone.

"She has no right to say those things to you, no right to touch what's mine." Derek frowned. "No I mean no right to touch anyone in my pack…because the pack is mine…all of you."

"I knew what you meant," Stiles said with a tiny sad smile.

"Tell me what she said Stiles."

"I've told you."

"Be specific."

"Don't do this to yourself," Stiles went to sit on a chair by the window. "It's not your fault."

"She is my guest and she did this to you," Derek stalked over and gently lifted Stiles' arm as though he could have forgetten about the bruise. "This is my fault."

"Just because something bad happened doesn't make it your fault," Stiles reminded him. "This is Jasmine's fault. And perhaps a little of my own. I never thought she'd get violent."

"This is not your fault."

"No," Stiles said. "But I never took into account the fact she's a werewolf so of course things would eventually escalate to physical messages."

"I put you in danger by welcoming them here."

"They are your friends how were you supposed to know she was dangerous?"

"She said it didn't she? She kept making noises about humans in a wolf pack, I wasn't listening."

"Derek, she is nuts! She hid it well and she really didn't want you to know." Stiles said emphatically. "She desperately wants you back. For some reason she sees me as an obstacle, probably because we live together and has decided to scare me off. I can handle all of that, don't worry."

"Don't worry?" Derek asked turning and stepping over in front of Stiles. "I don't care that you can handle it, of course you can handle it. You can handle anything, fuck you have my entire pack of werewolves handled all the time. But you shouldn't **have** to handle it. What on earth made you think you needed to handle it alone?"

"Okay, stop saying handle it," Stiles said with a smile but Derek just continued to glare at him. "Alright fine, listen she knew Laura. You enjoyed having them around and enjoyed talking about Laura so I just let you have that."

"I could hit you," Derek said. "That has to be the most stupid reason in the history of Stiles decisions."

"Nice."

Derek flicked his eyes out the window and glared, Stiles could hear the faint rumble of his growl working its way through his chest.

"Derek?" Stiles said after a few silent moments.

"If you ever let someone do that to you again without telling me I will…" Derek trailed off his body suddenly shaking with anger.

"Rip my throat out with your teeth?" Stiles asked.

Derek let out a huff of laughter before he crouched down in front of Stiles and caught his eye before speaking. "Stiles, do you really think…"

Stiles didn't get a chance to know what Derek was going to say because there was suddenly a large bang from downstairs and they both turned and ran from the room.

At the base of the stairs sat a broken table and Lydia and Jasmine rolling around on the floor trying to rip one another to shreds.

"Lydia!" Stiles said running down the stairs. "Guys why aren't you doing anything?"

"Was her turn," Scott said viciously looking at the bruise on Stiles' arm before looking back at the two female betas.

"Her turn," Stiles turned to the rest of the pack and glared at them all. "Do you honestly think this is going to help?"

"Lydia get off her," Stiles didn't step into the fray knowing that he could be hurt by either of them intentionally, or not, very easily. All he got in response was a growl. Derek stepped past Stiles and grabbed hold of Lydia hauling her up and away from Jasmine who climbed up and growled at Lydia who was bleeding profusely from a number of wounds.

"Lydia, stop!" Derek growled at her, Lydia snarled at him but dropped her head and nodded shortly still glaring at Jasmine over Derek' shoulder.

Stiles stepped forward and pulled Lydia closer to him, the female werewolf kept her eyes on Jasmine as she moved towards Stiles.

"What do you think you are doing?" Derek asked stepping towards Jasmine.

"She started it," Jasmine growled. "Doesn't know her place."

"My place is most definitely between you and Stiles you vicious whore," Lydia spat.

"Lydia," Stiles said tugging more forcefully on her arm. "Come on let me look at you."

"I'm fine," Lydia said her eyes flicking to Stiles, down to his bruise.

"The blood tells me differently," Stiles said again pushing her down into a chair and using his ruined shirt to wipe at the wounds and see which ones were bad.

"You have been attacking members of my pack?" Derek asked. Stiles didn't bother to look up just kept his back to his pack and focussed on Lydia while watching them from the corner of his eye. He knew he could turn his back on her if he wanted, though it would be epically stupid at this point but he knew nothing was getting to him with the rest of the pack in the room.

"She started it," Jasmine repeated.

"I'm not talking about her," Derek said stepping closer. "I'm talking about you assaulting Stiles, a member of my pack."

"Just as pathetic as I thought you were," Jasmine glared at Stiles. "Running to Derek to dob on me."

"He didn't come to me," Derek said his hands fisting at his sides. "I saw the bruise you gave him and then he confirmed it."

"I think you're going to be fine," Stiles said quietly to Lydia who was looking over his shoulder basically ignoring him.

"Just proving my point," Jasmine muttered, Stiles looked at her and knew now that everything was out in the open she had no reason to try and hide anymore. He wondered if she was more dangerous like this. "Running around after them like their-"

"Omega right?" Stiles said stepping forward to find Scott and Jackson suddenly at his sides. "Jesus guys don't go all ninja on me. You keep saying it, you keep telling me I'm the pathetic little omega but I'm not. Omega wolves are ones without packs, you know that, we know that, everyone fucking knows that but you have to keep perpetuating this idea of omegas as the servants of the werewolf pack even though it's a disgusting and horrible tradition. But you're right I do look after my pack," Stiles looked at the two wolves on either side of him. "And they look after me because we are a pack so just stop. It's not worth it so…just stop."

"A human cannot be a member of a wolf pack. You know nothing about werewolves and what it takes to be their pack mate."

Stiles sighed at Jasmine's continued dislike; he wasn't going to convince her to feel any differently so he just let it go. "Of course I do, scratching behind their ears, the occasional belly rub. Taking them for a walk sometimes."

Jasmine snarled at him but he didn't bother to react just dropped back to stand against the wall and leave his pack to it. Stiles didn't have the energy to deal with her anymore.

"You think you have the right to talk about us like that?" Jasmine asked.

"You need to stop talking to Stiles," Scott said with his own snarl.

"Why?"

"Because you are very lucky Stiles pulled Lydia off you before she ripped your fucking head off for touching Stiles like that," Jackson spat.

"Okay," Stiles said grabbing Scott's and Jackson's shoulders. "Take a step back, it's a bruise and not worth all of this. She grabbed my arm and gave me a bruise."

"It was bad enough when she was just saying things to you," Danny said. "Not that you'd ever tell us what she said."

"She is one werewolf and you all know what she has been doing so you shouldn't be ganging up on her like this."

"She deserves whatever she gets for what she did to you," Lydia said suddenly standing at his back.

"Is ganging up on her any better than what she did to me?" Stiles asked the general air since he was now surrounded by betas.

"How can you even ask that?" Danny said turning to him. "You did nothing wrong, you didn't attack her first, you were just being you and she started bullying you."

"Yes she did," Stiles said. "And now she can't anymore but I think this might be overkill. You're all ganging up on her which isn't going to calm anyone down."

"Aren't you mad at her?" Lydia asked. "Don't you want revenge?"

Stiles stopped. "What would it solve? She doesn't think humans should be in werewolf packs and she is definitely not the only werewolf out there who thinks it. Trying to beat that thought out of her isn't going to solve anything."

"You're ours Stiles," Scott said. "No one gets to do that to you."

"Naww, so sweet. Now back to hell off, it's a bruise. She didn't beat me with a stick. Now let me handle it okay just step back and relax." Stiles knew his pack was being protective, and it was lovely to be protected when needed but he could feel the antagonism in the room escalating. He knew if left to it Jasmine would say something that would end with at least one of Stiles' pack attempting to remove her head. He didn't want to deal with Jasmine, he honestly just wanted her gone, but if the choices were a fight between his pack and John's pack because of something one of the betas did he would choose to deal with Jasmine. John and Monica had done nothing, had been nothing but kind to him the entire time they'd been here and even if Jasmine was a manipulative, prejudiced bitch in the end that shouldn't end Derek's relationship with John. If one could in fact be salvaged.

"I don't think that's a smart idea," Lydia said.

"I never said I was going to go over there and punch her, that's just silly."

"As if I would let you get that close to me," Jasmine said her eyes narrowed at him. "You tell Derek's pack what to do like you have any right?"

"He has every right to ask his pack mates to follow his instructions," Derek said stepping closer to Jasmine. "As you should know, you come from a family of werewolves, you know that not all children are born with the gift, they are just as much pack as any other member."

"They are bitten," Jasmine reminded him.

"Only if they want it."

"Only in your pack, in ours you took the bit and you were glad to be a true member of the pack, a true werewolf."

"Is that what happened to you?" Stiles asked before his brain caught up with him. "Were you born human?"

Jasmine snarled at him. "Don't talk to me."

Stiles held his hands up and nodded. Now that Derek was standing between his pack and Jasmine the betas had relaxed. They were all standing around him still, he could feel them touching him but that didn't surprise him. They knew he was hurt now and they'd want to keep physical contact for a while for reassurance but it didn't look like things were going to escalate anymore. Derek was calm even if Stiles could see the tight set of his shoulders, he was angry but he wasn't about to eviscerate Jasmine with it. Knowing things were more relaxed, even if Stiles had been expecting to hold Derek back from Jasmine at some point, allowed Stiles to relax and press close to his pack.

"Do not speak to any member of my pack like that," Derek's voice was firm but Jasmine looked at him defiantly.

"You really choose him? You protect and defend that pathetic little human? You are weak for allowing him into your pack, for allowing him to make your pack weak!"

Derek grabbed Jasmine around the throat and pushed her against the wall, lifting until her feet where trying to gain purchase on the floor.

"That human." Derek growled out. "Is the only fucking reason I am not dead. He is the reason most of my pack isn't dead and the fucking reason I am not going to rip your throat out. If you come back here and insult my pack, threaten them or try anything like what has been happening here this week I will ensure that there will be nothing left of you for your brother to bury. Do you understand Jasmine?" Derek spat out her name.

Jasmine nodded watching Derek with suddenly wide and terrified eyes.

"Derek," John said from behind him appearing through the door.

Derek let go of Jasmine and stepped back keeping his body between her and the rest of his pack.

John stepped up and into Jasmine's space. "What is going on?"

Jasmine looked at her brother and then beyond him to Stiles. "I was just putting him in his place."

John turned and looked at Stiles, the pack stepped closer to him but Stiles pushed them away. "She's been telling me I shouldn't be in Derek's pack," Stiles explained going with the general gist of things rather than getting into anything specific. Stiles was a little confused at the way Derek had immediately let go of Jasmine, the way he stood back now. It wasn't how Derek normally acted when one of his pack had been hurt.

"Be honest," Lydia hissed in his ear.

"Fine, she's been doing it repeatedly and viciously but she was only talking until the other day when she grabbed my arm," Stiles held it out so everyone could see really wishing this was all over already.

"Not even proof of your uselessness could make them see; you broke your nose and had to be taken care of. Pathetic."

"You did that to Stiles?" John asked. "You caused that?"

Jasmine nodded glaring at the human.

"Jasmine!" John's voice was low almost a growl causing his sister's eyes to flick back to him and her head to bow. "Derek welcomed us into his house and you repaid that by attacking one of his pack?"

"He's not worth all of this."

John growled at her warningly. "Whatever you feel about humans in packs it is Derek's pack. Stiles," John turned to look at him and Derek stepped out of the way coming to stand beside but a little behind Stiles the rest of the pack adjusting to make space. "As the person who was injured you may request a punishment."

Stiles frowned. "I don't understand."

"I will be reminding Jasmine of the correct way to interact with other packs we are aligned with but as the person who was injured you are welcome to request a punishment."

"I don't want to punish her," Stiles said.

"Stiles, she hurt you-" Derek's warning look cut Lydia off even as she glared back at him.

Stiles continued. "Most of what she did was just verbal. I would be happy if she just left me alone. I don't think me punishing her is going to convince her that I have earned my place in this pack."

"Trust me Stiles she will not bother you ever again."

Stiles nodded. "Then you can do as you want."

"Derek," Jackson said stepping forward.

"Jackson be quiet," Derek said looking at his pack. "Wait and I will explain."

"Jasmine, go and pack now," John said pushing his sister in front of him. Monica followed them moments later from where she had been standing hidden by the open door.

As soon as they were gone the pack turned on Derek. Stiles stayed by his side curious about how this all worked.

"What are you doing Derek?" Scott asked coming forward. "Why are you just letting her leave?"

Derek turned to his pack and sighed. "If one of you ever did something like that I would never allow another alpha to punish you. That is my responsibility as alpha, it is accepted between packs that unless the wolf kills a member of the other pack, without certain types of provocation, their alpha is the one to hand out punishment. John has done nothing wrong," his eyes cut to Stiles who nodded. "And as such he has every right to punish Jasmine as he sees fit. She will never be allowed here again. If she comes near Stiles, or any of you again, if she attacks any of you, then I will step in. Then I will ensure she understands more fully that no one is allowed to attack any of my pack."

"That is crap," Lydia said. "You've punished people for less than this."

"Never another wolf, and never physically."

"You held Danny's ex James up against a wall and told him that if he ever treated Danny like that again you'd beat him with his own arm." Jackson pointed out. He'd wanted to do the same, to do more, at the time but Derek made it to the cheating manipulative bastard first.

"Not a werewolf, and given what happened between them I think I was justified."

"When my dad swept into town you told him to treat me and mum right or he'd be answering to you," Scott added.

"Not a werewolf."

"You yelled at me for an hour when I accidently hurt Lydia," Jackson said. "All she gets is a warning never to hurt Stiles again."

"My pack."

"You strung me up in a tree when I dislocated Stiles' shoulder." Danny added.

"My pack and you were being really reckless."

"You scratched the car of my ex-boyfriend when he posted stuff about me online."

Derek grinned at her. "Not my pack and fun."

Stiles left his pack to their argument knowing they would argue with Derek about his decision for a while but Stiles felt comfortable leaving this to John. He slipped away to the hallway where the guest rooms were and into the room with Monica after making sure Jasmine was not there.

"Stiles," Monica said looking up from her packing. "Are you okay? Would you like me to check your arm?"

"It's fine I think," Stiles looked down at it realising he was still shirtless, he'd have to go upstairs and fix that at some point. He shook his head and pulled back to the conversation.

"Can I look anyway?"

"Of course," Stiles said stepping forward. "Have a look."

Monica lifted his arm and tested it, pressing gently against the arm around the bruise and then down his arm. "Make a fist, good, wriggle your fingers. I think you're right it looks okay but just keep an eye on it. Jasmine is very strong. Given the size of the bruise and the viciousness of the colours she could have easily done some serious damage."

"And I am merely a human."

Monica laughed. "That too, the nose looks okay."

"I can breathe a little easier today than I could yesterday."

"It will take a good long time to not hurt at all."

Stiles nodded while Monica went back to the packing. "I really enjoyed meeting you and listen I know things have turned bad and I completely accept if you never want to but," Stiles handed Monica a slip of paper. "This is my number. I would like to keep in touch. I know Derek would…it's not my place but I really hope everything with Jasmine won't make you guys never come again. I mean I never want to see Jasmine again at this point but I know Derek would like to see John again. Not my place to invite you back or anything but I was hoping we could keep in touch."

Monica took the paper and tucked it into her pocket. "You'd really welcome us back?"

"Of course," Stiles said. "Unless you think I should be kicked out of Derek's pack since I'm human as well."

Monica smiled at him. "I think you are perfect for this pack just as you are Stiles."

"Me too," he said with a smile. "Do you want some help?"

"No," Monica said. "I've got it covered, you can keep me company if you want though."

Stiles nodded and moved over to the chair.

"What did she do?" Monica asked a few minutes later.

"Started off just small things, you are an omega, you are pathetic, you are just being used by Derek and the pack."

"Lovely."

"I got the impression she hasn't been completely nice to you either."

Monica smiled at him. "You do watch things carefully don't you. She isn't impressed by any made werewolf, she thinks born ones and better, stronger, more perfect."

"So she doesn't like you being bitten by her brother."

"Or marrying him, or eventually having kids. She keeps it to herself mostly, the occasional comment but John sets her right whenever he sees it. She isn't around us much. She travels and I think she has something going with a werewolf in another pack."

"And she wants Derek."

Monica nodded. "It looked like it from before we even got here, but it became obvious that wasn't going to happen when we arrived and I think that-"

"Proverbial straw?"

"Exactly, plus how…close the two of you are."

"Yeah that featured quite heavily in the private conversations we had after a while. I didn't realise how obvious I was being before she saw it."

"It's not obvious to Derek."

"Good."

"Why?" Monica asked coming over and sitting at the end of the bed so she could look at Stiles while he answered.

"I think I have now met all of Derek's exes. I don't fill either requirement."

"Requirement?"

"Female," Stiles smiled at her sadly for a moment before shaking himself when winking. "And a little batshit crazy."

Monica laughed then covered her mouth suddenly and shook her head. "You're good with the pack. But any human who willing joins a werewolf pack could be considered a little batshit."

"I have my dad, but this pack are my family as well."

"Maybe if he knew how you felt and you knew for sure how he feels things would be able to get better. I get the impression you've been interested for a long while."

Stiles nodded. "Too long but I'm not brave enough to say it. Maybe one day. Either that or I'll just be sad old Uncle Stiles who has the good toys and doesn't count how many lollies the kids have."

Monica laughed and looked like she was going to move before she grabbed Stiles' arm. "He protects me, they have had some epic fights and she is better than she used to be. But even an alpha can't change how you think. What I'm trying to say is he will punish her for what she did."

Stiles nodded. "I don't know if it will do any good but I never doubted he would. Derek trusts him to handle it and I trust Derek's instincts."

Monica stood with a decisive nod and went back to packing her and John's things.

"I'll leave you to it," Stiles said. "I hope to hear from you but I'll understand if I don't."

"I will call you," Monica assured him.

"Bye Monica," Stiles said wrapping his arms around her in a quick hug.

"Goodbye Stiles."

Stiles turned and walked out of the room and back down the hall. He bypassed his stonily silent pack in the hallway and went upstairs. He was still without a shirt and now cold from the wet pants. He had a couple smears of Lydia's blood on his arm so he stepped into the shower for a quick hot clean and then redressed. He rubbed his towel over his hair trying to decide if he hoped Jasmine was already gone when he got downstairs or not. Finally he ran out of ways to stall and he went back down.

Lydia had obviously also gone and showered her cuts healing and covered. The rest of the pack was standing around in their still wet clothes watching Stiles walking down the stairs.

"I'm fine, I was cold."

Derek nodded at him but Stiles could tell half of his attention was down the hallway where the two guest rooms were. Jasmine was still here.

"You all calm now?" He asked the rest of his pack.

"Derek explained it to us," Jackson said but Stiles could tell from the look on his face he had not accepted Derek's explanation.

"Good," Stiles said. "I think it's a very sensible idea. Letting the alpha be in charge of consequences."

"She might be let off easily," Lydia said and from the way Derek tensed Stiles knew that wasn't a new argument.

"No she won't," Stiles said before Derek could. "I trust John to do the right thing, and even if he didn't she won't be coming back."

"No she won't," Derek said.

"John and Monica can though, right?"

"You would let them?" Derek asked turning to Stiles completely for the first time.

"It's your house I wouldn't be letting them do anything. But I would welcome them if they did come."

Derek was surprised but after thinking for a moment he realised he really shouldn't be. Derek knew Stiles had gone down to see Monica before his shower while Derek had been trying to explain to his pack that letting Jasmine leave was the best thing to do. Derek had been struggling with his desire to rip Jasmine apart since he'd seen the bruise on Stiles' arm. He was supposed to protect his pack, his entire pack. His feelings for Stiles made all of this worse but the desire to punish the person who'd hurt a member of his pack was something he was familiar with. He'd felt it in every one of the instances that his pack had reminded him of to convince Derek to give into his desire for retribution.

Derek hoped that he was able to remain friends with John but he was prepared for the fact that this could mean that he would never be a welcome acquaintance of John's again.

Derek turned his head but it was Allison coming from upstairs, she'd disappeared to change during the argument less able to stand in cold clothes than the wolves in his pack. She smiled at him tightly before walking over to Stiles. His entire pack was sticking close to Stiles still. They'd known something was happening though. They knew that Jasmine was a threat even if they didn't know she was violent. They had known and Derek had no idea. He should have known. He'd seen that Stiles didn't like her, he'd known how she felt about humans in packs since she had made it obvious enough that first day. He'd never seen anything though but there had been signs and Derek had been too stupid to see them. Stiles not coming to training, he always came to training. The fact his entire pack went to Stiles' for a day instead of coming to Derek's like they normally would. The way the pack had been distant instead of coming over all the time. Derek should have known something was wrong but he'd enjoyed spending time with John, discussing things not all of his pack would or could understand, and he'd ignored it all thinking it was less of a problem than it really was.

Derek blamed himself for not seeing it but he was furious at his pack for not telling him out it when it was obvious they had known and he didn't. They should know better than to keep things like this from him. They should by now understand he would protect every single one of them. When Jasmine was gone, when the threat to his pack was out of his house then he'd have a discussion with his pack about all the ways they'd fucked up. When that was over then he'd focus on all the ways he'd fucked up.

"Doesn't anyone want a cup of tea?" Stiles finally said stepping away from his pack and heading for the kitchen. The rest of the wolves followed him but Derek remained where he was. He would not move until she was out of his house. There was only one way for her to get from her room to his pack and he was going to be standing in the way.

A few minutes later Derek heard Stiles coming out of the kitchen. "Sit the hell down seriously," obviously directed back to the rest of the pack in the kitchen.

"Here," Stiles said handing Derek a mug of tea. "I thought it might help."

"Thanks," Derek said taking a sip and then putting the tea down on the unbroken hall table.

"You just going to stand guard here until they leave?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Stiles disappeared and then moments later he's back standing next to Derek and sipping his own cup of…peppermint tea. The smell was soothing as was Stiles' presence, not that Derek really wanted to admit it.

"Do you think you'll be able to stay friends with John?" Stiles asked a few minutes later cutting through Derek's focus on the hallway.

"I hope so, but she is his sister."

Stiles nodded. "Thank you."

Derek spun and looked at Stiles; there was nothing that Stiles could possibly have to thank him for. "What for?"

"For not attacking Jasmine, for leaving her to John, for telling her that I saved your life."

"Stiles, don't thank me for leaving Jasmine be, if I didn't like John so much I wouldn't have been able to stop myself. She hurt you deliberately."

"I'm glad you didn't regardless, it would have just made her angrier. She wants you back."

"I'm not interested." Derek said. "And I was never hers."

"She didn't know that. She kept telling me how things were going to change when she was a part of the pack, when she was your mate and she had control."

"She would have never been my mate. I don't have one."

"Oh." Stiles said and then took another sip of his tea.

"And Stiles," Derek reached out and rested his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I was being truthful when I said you saved my life, that you'd saved all our lives. You have more than earned your place in the pack, not that you ever needed to but if you did you've done so time and time again. She's wrong, you belong here."

Stiles beamed at him. "It's nice to hear that sometimes but I know and I'm not going anywhere."

Derek smiled. He wanted to pull Stiles close and tell him that he loved him, that he wanted to kill that bitch for thinking she could talk to Stiles like she had. That Stiles was everything Derek wanted out a mate and that he wanted to do something terrible to himself for allowing it to happen under his nose, in his own house. But he bit his lip and held it in and reminded himself that this was just more of a reason to keep his distance. If Stiles became anything more than he already was in the pack then he would be vulnerable to more attacks like this one. Derek would be vulnerable to more attacks like this one. More likely though Stiles would be very polite, very sweet and he'd yank Derek's heart out of his chest when he told Derek that he cared for the werewolf but he just wasn't interested.

"I'm sorry I didn't realise what was happening." Derek said instead.

"They knew Laura you wanted to spend time with them. Jasmine took advantage. It isn't your fault. I made sure no one told you."

"Don't do that again. You, everyone in the pack are more important than people I knew a long time ago," Derek said firmly.

Derek wanted to say more when he heard John and his pack moving down the hallway. He heard his own pack moving in the kitchen, they had been able to hear the other pack too. Moments later John appeared in the hallway Jasmine coming behind with her head down. He could hear the rest of the pack moving behind Stiles. John stopped in front of Derek but Jasmine and Monica kept moving out the door. Derek watched her until the door close firmly behind her. If she was willing to break Stiles' nose when everyone was watching he really didn't want to think about what she would be capable of now that she had nothing to lose.

"I'm sorry about her behaviour Derek," John said when he had Derek's attention. "She knows better than this."

"It's not your fault John," Derek said.

John nodded. "Stiles…Monica mentioned your conversation I hope that we are able to take you up on your offer."

Stiles stepped forward and held his hand out to John. John gripped his hand and shook it. "It was very nice to meet you John, I hope we meet again."

Stiles tried pulled his hand back but John kept a grip. "Stiles, I know my sister is prejudiced against humans in werewolf packs not that I realised how bad it was but she is wrong Stiles. I can see why Derek made you part of his pack, a very valuable one if your aim is any indication."

Stiles smiled at him. "Thanks."

Derek stepped forward when John and Stiles let go.

"Goodbye," John said to the pack behind Stiles. They all said their goodbyes and wished him a safe journey.

"I'll see you out," Derek said smiling at John.

"Not quite how I expected us to be leaving," John said when they were standing on the porch. Derek could see Jasmine and Monica sitting in the car.

"Neither did I," Derek said with a sigh.

"She never used to be so prejudiced."

Derek nodded. "I don't remember her being that bad."

"I'll sort it out," John said. "Thank you for leaving it to me."

"That's the way things are done," Derek reminded him.

"Yes but given that she picked Stiles I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd lost a little control."

"Stiles?"

John looked at him. "Oh Derek don't be silly of course I've noticed. You should hurry up and do something."

"He's not," Derek said. "I'm not. It's not."

"Right," John said. "Forget it."

"He's part of my pack but it's nothing more than that."

"Exactly how he feels as well," John said.

Derek nodded. John punched him on the arm and shook his head.

"I will keep in touch better this time."

"Really?" Derek asked.

"Stiles gave Monica his phone number, seems he would like to keep in touch with us so really how can I hold a grudge when it was Jasmine's fault."

Derek grinned at him. "I'm really happy about that."

"Good," John let out a deep breath and his face hardened. "We had best be off. I'll call you."

"Bye John," Derek said. "Pass it along to Monica. I hope things get better with Jasmine."

John nodded and with a final handshake he walked out to the car. Derek stood on the verandah until the car disappeared and the door opened behind him.

"They're gone?" Allison asked.

"Yeah."

"Come on, Derek." Stiles said. "Come inside, I'm sure you'll hear from John again."

Derek nodded and walked inside with his pack.

Stiles pulled him into the kitchen. "Your tea will be cold. I'll make you a new one."

"I'll make the tea. I can't poison anyone boiling water," Jackson said.

"No," Derek said. "None of us changed after being caught outside. Everyone upstairs and into dry clothes."

"Perfect," Stiles said. "Allison and I will make tea."

Allison followed Stiles into the kitchen but Derek grabbed Lydia's hand and nodded up the stairs. She frowned but followed him. Derek waited until all of his pack was at the top of the stairs before he turned on them. He watched them all for a moment and against his better judgement he started to pace.

"Obviously I have somehow made you four idiots think that just because I have never been much of a dictator that I am not your alpha." Derek turned to them all, allowed himself to half transform, his mouth full of teeth, his eyes electric blue and his fingers tipped with vicious claws. "If any of you ever fucking let someone take advantage of your pack mate without telling me again I can assure you I will leave you no doubt as to exactly what punishment is. Do you understand?"

"Derek." Lydia started stepping forward.

"No!" Derek bellowed out, his voice deep and terrifying the wolf just shy of breaking out. "I know I should have seen it so don't start Lydia. But I didn't. Your job as a pack is to take care of your pack mates. You should have told me. I wouldn't have allowed her to hurt him like that."

"Stiles told us not to." Danny said. "If we had known she turned physical we never would have…he said she had been rude to him. Called him an omega. We never would have kept it from you if we knew what she was doing."

"You know we would never allow something to happen to him, he's our family," Scott said. "I would never allow anything to happen to him. He never told us it was anything worse than her telling him that he shouldn't be here and implying he was an omega. If we'd known how bad she was we never would have agreed to keep it from you."

Derek could hear the guilt in what his pack was saying. They hadn't know how bad it was and they felt they should have too. Derek was glad they realised how desperately bad this could have been. He wasn't letting them off the hook, just being mean to Stiles and bullying him was enough to have been mentioned to Derek.

"I don't care. I don't care if he makes you swear a blood oath not to tell me if something is going on, if someone is harassing of one of the pack you need to tell me. That is my job as alpha, to protect you, to help you." Derek started pacing again his eyes flicking between green and electric blue.

"He's okay. We were taking care of him," Lydia said.

"I know but I should have…if I'd known she wouldn't have had a chance to hurt him like that." Derek said looking at them all his pale green eyes uncomfortably vulnerable. He turned and left the room walking into his bedroom and shutting the door behind him.

**The End**

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**This is where** [**Chapter 7**](../../342958/chapters/839829) **of Apartment fits.**

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of the story as far as the Growling 'Verse is involved (since they can't get together until the end of Five Times) however as many of you know I write some alternate ficlets that get them together when all the UST is killing me :) if you are interested in reading an alternate ending to this where they get together that won't be verse compliant when I finally put this verse into one chronological story I am interested in writing it though with uni still being lovely and hectic, the big bang I am writing for TW and the championships coming up the updates might be slow.


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